Psychophysiological Responses of Adults According to Cognitive Demand Levels for Horticultural Activities

Kim, Seon-Ok; Kim, Yun-Jin; Park, Sin-Ae

doi:10.3390/su14148252

Cited by 2 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…There is a significant difference in psychological emotions when the cognitive demand for the activity is high and when the cognitive demand for the activity is low in nine horticultural activities (sowing excluded). According to a previous study (Kim et al 2022), there was no significant difference in cognitive demand when performing a soil-mixing activity, and this affected the activity of the frontal cortex without affecting the subjective psychological state. However, the results of our study show that there are activities that are affected by the emotional state according to level of cognitive difficulty and type of gardening activity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…The RFA index is activated primarily when emotional anxiety is stabilized (Park 2005). Increased fast alpha waves can awaken the brain to a comfortable resting state and improve cognitive abilities (Kim et al 2022). When sowing, performing cuttage, and arranging flowers were done at a high level of cognitive difficulty, the RT index decreased and the RB index increased in the PFC.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The collected EEG data were analyzed for five power spectra: relative theta (RT), relative beta (RB), relative gamma (RG), relative low beta (RLB), and relative fast alpha (RFA). Each indicator was analyzed according to the following criteria (Kim et al 2022;Klink et al 2020). The RT power spectrum was calculated and analyzed using the ratio of power in the 4-to 50-Hz band to power in the 4-to 8-Hz band, revealing cognitive and working memory status.…”

Section: Data Processing and Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In terms of cognition, brainderived neurotrophic factor levels increased significantly after attending gardening programs and performing gardening activities, suggesting there is potential for cognitive improvement (Park et al 2020). In addition, when soil mixing was performed at a high level of cognitive demand, the activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) increased significantly (Kim et al 2022). Studies on the physical and psychoemotional aspects of horticultural activities are being actively conducted, whereas studies on the cognitive aspects are insufficient.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, we investigated the effects of various horticultural activities according to cognitive demand levels by extending the study by Kim et al (2022).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Cognitive Demand Levels for Various Horticultural Activities on Psychophysiological Responses in Adults

Kim,

Park

2023

horts

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We compared the effects of horticultural activities according to cognitive demand levels on psychophysiological responses in adults. Thirty-two adults in their 20s were included. Participants performed 10 horticultural activities (raking, planting transplants, fertilizing, tying plants to stakes, harvesting, sowing, conducting cuttage, planting potted plants, cutting and washing, arranging flowers) for 150 seconds at two levels of cognitive demand. Electroencephalographic (EEG) and electrocardiographic measurements were acquired during the activity. After each activity, the participants’ emotional states were evaluated using the semantic differential method (SDM). The EEG results, according to comparison by activity, showed that for nine activities, excluding raking, relative theta decreased when performing tasks at a level of high cognitive difficulty (HCD) compared with those with a low cognitive difficulty (LCD), and relative beta, relative gamma, fast alpha, and relative low beta increased, indicating activation of the prefrontal cortex. In the relative theta power spectra, the cuttage activity was found to be the lowest when performing tasks at a high level high cognitive difficulty, and the working memory function was activated the most compared with other activities. When sowing at a low level of cognitive demand, participants’ heart rate decreased and stabilized. When potted plants were harvested at a high level of cognitive difficulty, the ratio of low frequency to high frequency increased, and the sympathetic nervous system was activated. In addition, when planting transplants, and cutting and washing were performed at a high level of cognitive difficulty, and the standard deviation of the RR interval was high, indicating a high ability of the autonomic nervous system to resist stress. As a result of the SDM, the emotional state according to task difficulty was found to be more stable and relaxed than high cognitive difficulty, but a significant increase in comfort, relaxation, and naturalness was achieved when nine gardening tasks with low cognitive difficulty were performed, with the exception of sowing. The results of this study show that tasks with high cognitive difficulty activate working memory, whereas those with low cognitive difficulty stabilize and relax brain activation. Therefore, this study confirmed that an intervention in horticultural activities with an appropriate level of cognitive difficulty could have a significant effect on psychophysiological changes in adults.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Data Processing and Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, we investigated the effects of various horticultural activities according to cognitive demand levels by extending the study by Kim et al (2022).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Cognitive Demand Levels for Various Horticultural Activities on Psychophysiological Responses in Adults

Kim,

Park

2023

horts

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Which horticultural activities are more effective for children’s recovery from stress and mental fatigue? A quasi-experimental study

Guo,

Xu,

Shi

et al. 2024

Front. Psychol.

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IntroductionStudies have established the benefits of horticultural therapy and activities for human health and well-being. Nonetheless, limited research has been conducted on the potential restorative advantages and distinctions between different types of horticultural activities in terms of stress reduction.MethodsThis study employed a quantitative research method to investigate the stress recovery benefits of five horticultural activities (flower arrangement, sowing and transplanting seeds, kokedama crafting, pressed flower card making, and decorative bottle painting with dried flowers) and one reference activity (short composition writing) for children. The experiment was conducted in a children’s activity center’s multi-purpose classroom with 48 elementary students aged 9–12 years. The subjects first took a stress test to induce stress and then engaged in horticultural activities for 20 min. Physiological stress was assessed using electrocardiograms and electroencephalograms as feedback indicators. Psychological and emotional changes were determined using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children and Self-Assessment Manikin scales.ResultsThe results demonstrated that horticultural activities greatly reduced physiological fatigue, and their recovery benefits were significantly greater than those of the reference activity. The recovery effects from different horticultural activities were similar across physiological indicators, although flower arrangement and sowing and transplanting seeds exhibited relatively robust recovery benefits. The heart rate and α-EEG-based generalized estimating equation revealed that horticultural activities offered significantly better relative recovery at each time phase of operation than the reference activity, with girls showing a 3.68% higher relative recovery value than boys. Flower arrangement and kokedama crafting offered better physiological recovery for students with prior horticultural experience, and these two activities received the highest scores in terms of positive effects and the “pleasure” dimension. Students believed that participating in horticultural activities resulted in a noteworthy increase in personal confidence and a greater sense of achievement.ConclusionThe study suggests that horticultural activities that involve real and vibrant plants or natural materials and are more attractive have more stress-relieving benefits. We conclude that horticultural activities are beneficial leisure activities that aid in stress relief for children and that it is important to consider the attributes of activities when developing horticultural programs for elementary students.

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Psychophysiological Responses of Adults According to Cognitive Demand Levels for Horticultural Activities

Cited by 2 publications

References 60 publications

Effects of Cognitive Demand Levels for Various Horticultural Activities on Psychophysiological Responses in Adults

Effects of Cognitive Demand Levels for Various Horticultural Activities on Psychophysiological Responses in Adults

Which horticultural activities are more effective for children’s recovery from stress and mental fatigue? A quasi-experimental study

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