Psychological Effects of Green Experiences in a Virtual Environment: A Systematic Review

Lee, Mijin; Kim, Eunsoo; Choe, Jiwon; Choi, Seonhye; Ha, Siyeon; Kim, Geonwoo

doi:10.3390/f13101625

Cited by 20 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…Across the studies included in our systematic review, we observed a recovery effect from stress after the exposure to VR nature, in both objective and subjective measures. This result is in line with the scientific literature concerning the beneficial effects of physical nature (Shuda et al, 2020), VR (Riches et al, 2021), and natural scenarios through VR (Lee et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

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Nature through virtual reality as a stress-reduction tool: A systematic review.

Gentile¹,

Ficarra²,

Thomas³

et al. 2023

International Journal of Stress Management

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The current systematic review aims to assess the acute stress-reduction effects of virtual reality (VR) natural environments. The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement, while the inclusion criteria were established through population, intervention, comparison, outcome, and study design (PICOS). The studies were included if (a) based on a nonclinical population; (b) compared the exposure to virtual nature through 360° images, biophilic elements, VR prerecorded videos, or immersive environments, excluding augmented reality; (c) objective (physiological parameters) or subjective (e.g., self-report questionnaires) measures were reported; (d) the reported measures contained quantitative outcomes; and (e) the records were published between 2010 and 2023. Four hundred nine studies were initially retrieved, 19 of which were finally included for synthesis. The eligible studies comprised a total of 1,168 participants. The quality assessment of the studies revealed a score of 10.1/15, indicating that studies were of overall “moderate quality.” Heterogeneity among the type of natural environment, type of stress induction, and type of comparator (nonnatural environment) was retrieved. Differences were also present regarding either the physiological or psychological variables analyzed. The exposure to natural environments through VR seemingly reduces objective and subjective stress levels. The presence of (a) natural sounds, (b) natural lighting, and (c) water elements seem to be key elements that help VR users reducing stress.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…Different systematic reviews exist on the relaxation effects of nature through VR (Frost et al, 2022; Lee et al, 2022), but no systematic reviews were retrieved on the recovery effects of nature after inducing acute stress.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Nature through virtual reality as a stress-reduction tool: A systematic review.

Gentile¹,

Ficarra²,

Thomas³

et al. 2023

International Journal of Stress Management

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“…Previous studies have mostly employed self-report questionnaires ( Lee et al, 2022 ), which relied on subjects’ perceptions of the current state at the conscious level. With this approach, however, there was inevitable “subjectivity” and insufficient objectivity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tree–shrub–grass composite woodland better facilitates emotional recovery in college students emotion better than other plant communities

Fu,

Gao,

Zhang

et al. 2024

Front. Psychol.

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Previous research has indicated that natural landscapes exhibit a greater capacity for ameliorating negative emotional states in individuals when compared to urban landscapes. Nevertheless, significant scientific inquiries, such as the uniformity of the rejuvenating effect across distinct categories of natural landscapes on college students and the choice of the optimal plant community for achieving the most potent restorative effect, remain unexplored. This study aimed to address these questions by selecting four plant communities (single-layer grassland, single-layer woodland, tree-grass composite woodland, tree-shrub-grass composite woodland) and using an electroencephalography method to capture the neuroelectric activity of the participants in combination with the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule score to explore the effects of plant community types on emotional recovery. The results showed that all four plant communities significantly increased positive emotions and significantly reduced negative emotions. There was no significant difference in the recovery effect of positive emotions among the four plant community types, but there was a significant difference in the recovery effect of negative emotions. The effect of tree-shrub-grass composite woodland on the negative emotion recovery effect is the best; the EEG results found that the alpha wave amplitude induced by the tree-shrub-grass composite woodland was significantly higher than that of the other three groups of plant communities, and the EEG and behavioral results were consistent. The results show that the tree-shrub-grass composite woodland has the best restoration effect and has stronger planning and design significance.

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“…However, knowledge gaps remain regarding the effects of exposure duration on health benefits. A systematic review revealed that virtual nature interventions lasting more than 10 min produced more consistent effects than those of a shorter duration [110]. However, the optimal viewing duration may vary across media formats.…”

Section: Dose and Durationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Complementarity with Real Forests: A Conceptual Framework and Narrative Review of Multidimensional Effects in Virtual Forests

Jia,

Xu,

et al. 2023

Forests

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Numerous studies have confirmed the positive impacts of real forests in areas such as stress relief. However, not everyone can visit forests easily. Virtual technologies offer new ways of experiencing forests for people who are hindered by real-life conditions and provide researchers with a manageable mode of study. Recently, there has been an influx of relevant research; however, themes within the overall perspective of the field remain unclear. This study aimed to review the literature and provide an overview of the potential health benefits of virtual forests. Research themes were extracted, and a conceptual framework for the multidimensional effects of virtual forest exposure was proposed from a holistic perspective. We analyzed studies using descriptive analytical methods through the Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed databases and snowball searches. In total, 58 studies were included. This review identified four themes and segments throughout the virtual forest exposure process: core elements, experiences, effects, and circulation. We propose a new conceptual framework for a holistic perspective that incorporates technological features that are specific to virtual environments and makes connections to real forests. Finally, perspectives for future research in virtual forest therapy and its practical implications are discussed.

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Psychological Effects of Green Experiences in a Virtual Environment: A Systematic Review

Cited by 20 publications

References 76 publications

Nature through virtual reality as a stress-reduction tool: A systematic review.

Nature through virtual reality as a stress-reduction tool: A systematic review.

Tree–shrub–grass composite woodland better facilitates emotional recovery in college students emotion better than other plant communities

Complementarity with Real Forests: A Conceptual Framework and Narrative Review of Multidimensional Effects in Virtual Forests

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