Ornamental plants have a major impact on general well-being. However, few scientific evidence-based studies are currently available regarding the benefits of plants to humans. Our primary goal was to determine whether exposure to real ornamental plants during lay activities has psy-chophysiological relaxation effects in adults. Methods Participants were instructed to perform a horticultural activity for 12 min (i.e., making a flower basket) using real ornamental plants or to handle artificial ornamental plants; the control activity and their psychophysiological responses were compared.
Fifty Chinese females (mean age 20.14 ± 1.47 years) participated in this experiment. Blood pressure and electroencephalography (EEG) were evaluated to determine physiological responses, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used to measure the psychological responses. Results-According to the STAI data, the participants showed lower anxiety levels after performing the horticultural activity than after performing the control activity. In the EEG evaluation , variations in brainwaves were observed after both activities. Conclusion-In conclusion, horticultural activity using real ornamental plants can promote psychophysiological relaxation in adults.
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Hassan, A & Qi, Chen & Jiang, Tao & Hassan, Drahmad. (2021). Brainwave measurements for lay activities with real and artificial ornamental plants.