Greening the room: A quasi-experimental study on the presence of potted plants in study rooms on mood, cognitive performance, and perceived environmental quality among university students

Bogerd, Nicole van den; Dijkstra, S.; Koole, Sander L.; Seidell, Jacob C.; Maas, Jolanda

doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101557

Cited by 21 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…In terms of small TNL, it is in line with some previous investigations ( Kalevi et al, 2017 ; Van den Bogerd et al, 2021 ) but inconsistent with the results of Ruth et al (2011 ), who have argued that the presence of plants is more likely to improve the reading span task performance than the absence of plants because of the mediated arousal level introduced by indoor plants. Further looking into Ruth’s study ( Ruth et al, 2011 ), it can be seen that the cognitive task is the main reason why the presence of plants improves work performance more than the absence of plants.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 72%

The effects of indoor plants and traffic noise on English reading comprehension of Chinese university students in home offices

Zhang

Qiu³

et al. 2022

Front. Psychol.

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Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home promotes the importance of indoor environment qualities. With the settings and functions of home offices, an experiment was carried out to determine the interaction effects between indoor plants and traffic noise levels (TNLs) on the performance and environmental evaluations of English reading comprehension tasks (ERCTs) and the performance of short-term breaks. A sample of 22 Chinese university students (12 males and 10 females) took part in the experiment. Two visual conditions (with and without plants) and five TNLs (i.e., 35, 45, 50, 55, and 60 dBA TNL) were included. Participants’ accuracy rates, eye movements, mental workload, and feelings about the environment were collected. The mental fatigue recovery (MFR), visual fatigue recovery (VFR), anxiety recovery (AR), and unfriendly recovery (UR) were measured for the analysis of a 5-min short-term break. The results demonstrate (1) plants have significant effects on ERCTs and short-term breaks, especially at 45 and 50 dBA TNL; (2) the effects of TNLs on ERCTs’ eye movements and work environment satisfaction differ by the presence of plants, e.g., the average pupil diameter (APD), lighting and layout satisfaction; (3) The effects of indoor plants on ERCT differ by the range of TNLs. In conclusion, indoor plants are beneficial to home workers engaged in ERCT when TNL does not exceed 50 dBA. The current data highlight the importance of audio-visual interaction in home offices and provide insights into the interaction mechanism between indoor plants and traffic noise.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 72%

The effects of indoor plants and traffic noise on English reading comprehension of Chinese university students in home offices

Zhang

Qiu³

et al. 2022

Front. Psychol.

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“…Elementary school students showed higher attention task scores in a classroom with an indoor green wall 24 , while university students showed higher reading span task results in office spaces with plants 25 . In contrast, Van den Bogerd, et al 26 and Evensen, et al 27 did not find significant differences in cognitive abilities with and without indoor nature in classroom and office spaces, respectively. The restorative benefits of indoor nature have not been studied enough.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Effects of nature on restorative and cognitive benefits in indoor environment

Rhee

Schermer

Han

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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This study investigates the effects of natural exposure in an indoor environment on restorative quality and cognitive ability. Thirty participants were shown nature at three different indoor sites: baseline, indoor (some vegetation), and semi-indoor (a large amount of vegetation and view to sky) for five minutes. After viewing, they completed an assessment of restoration and a cognitive task, and their electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded. Compared to the baseline, the sites with nature resulted in restorative (higher perceived restoration scores) and cognitive (higher working memory performance and lower delta-to-theta ratio (DTR), delta-to-alpha ratio (DAR), theta-to-beta ratio (TBR), and alpha-to-beta ratio (ABR) responses) benefits. These findings further our understanding of the effects of exposure to nature on restorative and cognitive benefits in an indoor environment, and help to build guidance for future research on the effects of nature indoors and designing restorative- and cognitive-enhancing indoor spaces.

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“…Interpersonal relations refer to the social connections and relationships a student has with others within the university community (French & Oakes, 2004). All of these factors can contribute to a student's overall well-being and satisfaction with their university experience (van den Bogerd et al, 2021). Yorke's (2016) research has also shown that students who feel a sense of belonging and have positive interpersonal relations are more likely to persist in their studies and have better academic outcomes.…”

Section: The Need Of Informal Learning Spaces At Higher Education Ins...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond The Lecture Hall: Exploring Informal Learning Spaces as Catalysts for Interpersonal Relationships, Student Well-Being and Campus Satisfaction in Higher Education Institutions

MACİULİENE,

GULEVİČİŪTĖ,

SKARŽAUSKİENĖ

2024

Participatory Educational Research

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Informal learning spaces have gained recognition as catalysts for student co-creation and engagement in higher education institutions. This study investigates the relationship between the availability and accessibility of informal learning spaces on campus and its influence on university belongingness, interpersonal relationships, student well-being, and university campus satisfaction. Mixed-method approach incorporating interviews and survey has been used in the study. Through qualitative research methods, including interviews with stakeholders, we explored the informal learning spaces at Mykolas Romeris University (MRU). The findings highlight that MRU offers a variety of spaces for both collaborative and focused learning, which are characterized by inclusivity, accessibility, digitalization, and availability for students. Guided by two research hypotheses, the quantitative part of the study examines the extent to which the availability and accessibility of informal learning spaces impact these key variables. The survey revealed a positive perception among respondents regarding the availability, accessibility, and satisfaction with informal learning spaces. Moreover, the study indicates that higher availability and accessibility of informal learning spaces on campus can significantly influence students' university belongingness and well-being. This paper contributes to the field by examining informal learning spaces from a holistic perspective that encompasses both students and stakeholders.

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Greening the room: A quasi-experimental study on the presence of potted plants in study rooms on mood, cognitive performance, and perceived environmental quality among university students

Cited by 21 publications

References 47 publications

The effects of indoor plants and traffic noise on English reading comprehension of Chinese university students in home offices

The effects of indoor plants and traffic noise on English reading comprehension of Chinese university students in home offices

Effects of nature on restorative and cognitive benefits in indoor environment

Beyond The Lecture Hall: Exploring Informal Learning Spaces as Catalysts for Interpersonal Relationships, Student Well-Being and Campus Satisfaction in Higher Education Institutions

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