The effect of water sound level in virtual reality: A study of restorative benefits in young adults through immersive natural environments

Hsieh, Chung-Heng; Yang, Ju-Yuan; Huang, Chun-Wei; Chin, Wei Chien Benny

doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102012

Cited by 18 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 58 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Decrease in heart rate and reduced psychological stress are reported in another study where young adults are exposed to virtual environment of a beach scene during a single 15-min laboratory-based VR session (McGarry et al, 2023). The incorporation of waterfall sounds into a virtual forest was also found to relieve anxiety states in university students (Hsieh et al, 2023). This body of research indicates that VR relaxation has the potential to support young adults coping with stress; however, existing VR relaxation studies are limited by lack of unassisted VR use in naturalistic, non-laboratorybased settings and limited qualitative data on participants' subjective experience of VR.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 78%

Virtual Reality Relaxation for Stress in Young Adults: A Remotely Delivered Pilot Study in Participants’ Homes

Riches,

Kaleva,

Nicholson

et al. 2024

J. technol. behav. sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

High stress levels experienced by young adults were exacerbated by COVID-19 and traditional stress management techniques can be challenging. Virtual reality (VR) relaxation appears promising and is accessible remotely; however, research on young adults is limited, especially in naturalistic settings. This remotely delivered and controlled mixed-methods study investigated feasibility and acceptability of VR relaxation for young adults (N = 23, mean age = 22.96) at home during the pandemic. VR participants (N = 11) were asked to complete daily VR relaxation sessions (scenes of virtual beaches, mountains, the sea, and more) for a 14-day intervention period, alongside visual analogue scales (VAS) of psychological well-being pre- and post-VR sessions. Post-intervention, VR participants completed semi-structured interviews. Control participants (N = 12) received no intervention. Both groups completed outcome measures of psychological well-being pre- and post-intervention periods to evaluate feasibility of remote data collection. VAS results indicated acceptability of daily VR, with significant short-term increases in relaxation, happiness, and connectedness to nature, and decreases in stress, anxiety, and sadness within VR participants. VR usage and 100% completion of outcome measures indicated feasibility of VR relaxation and remote data collection. Qualitative findings suggest participants found the VR relaxing, but interest diminished over time and technical issues hindered user experience. This suggests a more informal, less prescriptive frequency of VR use may be more appealing for young adults, although adherence may relate to technical issues. Greater interactivity and remote technical assistance within VR could increase engagement. Future research should investigate optimal frequency of use, longer-term impact, and technical issues with a larger sample.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 78%

Virtual Reality Relaxation for Stress in Young Adults: A Remotely Delivered Pilot Study in Participants’ Homes

Riches,

Kaleva,

Nicholson

et al. 2024

J. technol. behav. sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Multiple researchers have examined the impact of viewing nature on physical health as stress not only exhibits itself psychologically but also physically (e.g., sympathetic nervous activity dominance, greater heart rate and blood pressure, and increased alpha amylase and cortisol). In experimental studies, researchers have measured changes in physiology before and after indirectly exposing participants to nature through views of nature [ 65 , 66 ], virtual reality [ 15 , 53 , 67 , 68 ], videos [ 57 , 69 ], and sounds [ 17 , 68 ]. In several studies, after being indirectly exposed to nature, participants experienced greater parasympathetic nervous system dominance [ 65 , 66 , 68 ], heart rate variability [ 65 , 69 ], and decreased heart rate [ 15 , 53 , 66 , 68 , 69 ], systolic and diastolic blood pressure [ 17 , 53 , 67 ], skin conductance [ 53 , 65 ], pain [ 57 ], and cortisol [ 53 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In experimental studies, researchers have measured changes in physiology before and after indirectly exposing participants to nature through views of nature [ 65 , 66 ], virtual reality [ 15 , 53 , 67 , 68 ], videos [ 57 , 69 ], and sounds [ 17 , 68 ]. In several studies, after being indirectly exposed to nature, participants experienced greater parasympathetic nervous system dominance [ 65 , 66 , 68 ], heart rate variability [ 65 , 69 ], and decreased heart rate [ 15 , 53 , 66 , 68 , 69 ], systolic and diastolic blood pressure [ 17 , 53 , 67 ], skin conductance [ 53 , 65 ], pain [ 57 ], and cortisol [ 53 ]. In one study, after five minutes of viewing nature using virtual reality, the alpha amylase concentration decreased by 1.2 ng/mL and diastolic blood pressure by 4.6 mmHg [ 53 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactions with Nature, Good for the Mind and Body: A Narrative Review

Stott,

Forde,

Sharma

et al. 2024

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Interacting with nature may promote mental and physical health. There are multiple ways to interact with nature: indirectly, incidentally, and intentionally. How these types of interactions with nature may be associated with mental and physical health status and health behaviors is unclear. The purpose of this narrative review is to (1) describe the relationship between interactions with nature (indirect, incidental, and intentional) and mental and physical health outcomes and behaviors, (2) identify gaps in the literature, and (3) provide recommendations for future research. Considerable evidence suggests that interacting with nature, indirectly and intentionally, is associated with improvements in mental health and physical exhibitions of mental status. Furthermore, intentionally interacting with nature is associated with engagement in physical activity and gardening is associated with fruit and vegetable consumption. Research suggests that incidentally interacting with nature may be associated with positive mental health status. More research is needed to understand the relationships between incidental interactions with nature and physical health status and behaviors; as well as among all types of interactions with nature and physical health disorders, sleep, and dietary behaviors.

show abstract

“…Also, few studies address the visual and auditory aspects of water as part of the restorative experience in the work environment, especially for urban workers living in waterfront areas. In this context, the possibility of visual contact with water is significant for these workers, and elements such as water colour and sound play an important role in restorative effects (e.g., [63,64]).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restorative Effects of Biophilic Workplace and Nature Exposure during Working Time: A Systematic Review

Gonçalves,

Sousa,

Fernandes

et al. 2023

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The work environment plays a crucial role in the health and performance of employees. The growing interest in workers’ well-being has driven the inclusion of nature in workplaces, despite many employees spending most of their time indoors, away from nature. Studies show that biophilic design in offices can have positive effects and promote workers’ well-being. However, research on the beneficial effects of nature exposure in the workplace is limited and scattered. Thus, the aim of this systematic review was to consolidate current knowledge on the restorative effects of nature exposure on workers during work activities. Different types of exposure, both outdoors and indoors, were considered, with a focus on outcomes related to well-being, motivation, job satisfaction, and work performance. Out of the initially identified 1225 articles, only 16 met the criteria for analysis. Although the analysed studies provided compelling evidence regarding the restorative effects of nature exposure in the workplace, the review also points out gaps and limitations concerning the number of specific studies in this area and the need to adequately assess the sensory dimensions involved in these effects. Conducting more comprehensive and multidimensional investigations into the impacts of nature on the work environment could contribute to guiding more effective design strategies and creating healthier and more productive workplaces for employees.

show abstract

The effect of water sound level in virtual reality: A study of restorative benefits in young adults through immersive natural environments

Cited by 18 publications

References 58 publications

Virtual Reality Relaxation for Stress in Young Adults: A Remotely Delivered Pilot Study in Participants’ Homes

Virtual Reality Relaxation for Stress in Young Adults: A Remotely Delivered Pilot Study in Participants’ Homes

Interactions with Nature, Good for the Mind and Body: A Narrative Review

Restorative Effects of Biophilic Workplace and Nature Exposure during Working Time: A Systematic Review

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About