2023-06-24 09:35:00
Virtual plants can improve your mind and mood. This is demonstrated by a study that has investigated the effects of having or not having virtual plants in an office in virtual reality (VR). The results, published in Scientific Reports, are surprising: virtual plants can help you remember better, be more creative, and feel happier and calmer.
VR is a technology that allows you to immerse yourself in a computer-generated three-dimensional environment, where you can interact with virtual objects and people.
VR is increasingly being used for educational, entertainment, and work purposes. However, how does VR affect our brain and our mood? What kind of virtual environments are most beneficial for us?
answering questions
To answer these questions, a team of researchers conducted an experiment with 39 volunteers, who were divided into two groups. One group entered a virtual office with plants and the other group entered a virtual office without plants.
Inside the virtual office, the volunteers had to take two tests: one to measure their short-term memory and another to measure their creativity.
Before and following entering the VR, the volunteers also had to fill out questionnaires regarding how they felt and how they perceived the virtual environment.
Strong results
The results of the experiment were clear: the volunteers who were in the virtual office with plants remembered more words, generated more original ideas, and felt happier and less angry than those who were in the virtual office without plants.
Additionally, volunteers who viewed the virtual plants said they found the virtual environment more relaxing and realistic.
How is this positive effect of virtual plants explained? The researchers suggest that it may be because virtual plants activate our innate connection to nature, which makes us feel calmer and more relaxed from stress.
It may also be because virtual plants stimulate our attention and imagination, which improves our cognitive abilities.
Natural elements
These findings have important implications for the design of future VR work and learning spaces, the researchers note.
If we want to make the most of the potential of this technology, we must take into account the natural elements that can promote our well-being and our performance.
So now you know, if you want to work or study better in VR, don’t forget regarding virtual plants!
powerful virtuality
But not only virtual plants can have positive effects in VR. Other studies have shown that exposure to virtual natural landscapes can also reduce stress, pain, and anxiety.
For example, it has been proven that viewing virtual nature scenes can relieve the pain of burn patients during cures. It has also been observed that walking through a virtual forest can lower blood pressure and heart rate.
In addition, VR can offer personalized natural experiences adapted to the preferences and needs of each user. For example, you can choose the type of natural landscape, the weather, the time of day, the music or the ambient sounds. Thus, an optimal virtual natural environment can be created for each situation and objective.
In short, VR can be a powerful tool to get closer to nature and improve our mental and physical health.
nature’s complement
However, this does not mean that we should give up direct contact with real nature. On the contrary, VR can be a supplement or a temporary substitute when it is not possible to access the real nature. The ideal would be to combine both forms of contact with nature to obtain the maximum benefit, the scientists consider.
Reference
Adding virtual plants leads to higher cognitive performance and psychological well-being in virtual reality. Fariba Mostajeran et al. Scientific Reports, volume 13, Article number: 8053 (2023).
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