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Effects of Indoor Plants in the Reduction of Stress

University of British Columbia. Campus and Community Planning

A correlational, between-subjects design was done in order to further investigate the positive effect that indoor plants have on stress in the UBC campus. The present study makes an initial attempt to evaluate the potential benefits of placing indoor plants in pocket lounges in the Nest, which are areas that students often use to either rest or study. A Profile of Mood States survey, that included other demographical questions, was administered to approximately 52 students who were present in the pocket lounge at the time when the experiment was conducted. Data were analyzed to compare the levels of stress, operationalized by measures of mood, before and after plants were added to the room. The findings suggest no significant (P > 0.05) decrease in the level of stress that students have even with the addition of various plants. The results show a minor decrease in the following items ranked in the survey, although other variables and confounds, such as timing and change blindness, may have affected the plant’s effect on the individual’s stress level. Overall, no differences were found between independent items in the survey, nor were they found in the comparisons between both conditions. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”

Text

UBC Social Ecological Economic Development Studies (SEEDS) Student Report; University of British Columbia. PSYC 321

Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library

10.14288/1.0342817

Arts, Faculty of; Psychology, Department of

Unreviewed

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/