Exploring Psychophysiological Restoration and Individual Preference in the Different Environments Based on Virtual...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Psychology
• Urban Planning
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Urban green spaces (UGS) are recognized for promoting human physical and mental health.
• Key driving factors for psychophysiological restoration in urban environments remain unclear.
• Virtual reality (VR) offers a novel approach to study human responses to diverse environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the psychophysiological and psychological restoration effects of different urban environments using VR.
• To identify key factors influencing human restoration and preferences in urban settings.
• To explore the potential of VR as a tool for evaluating restorative environments.

Main Methods:

• 120 participants were randomly assigned to experience six distinct urban environments (grey, blue, open green, partly open green, partly closed green, closed green) via VR.
• Physiological responses (electroencephalogram - EEG) and psychological states (attention, mood) were measured.
• Participant preferences for each environment were recorded.

Main Results:

• All VR environments showed restorative effects on attentional fatigue and negative mood.
• Closing eyes yielded the highest physiological stress restoration, surpassing all tested environments.
• Partly open green spaces most positively impacted negative mood, while closed green spaces had the worst effect.
• Blue and partly closed green spaces were preferred recreationally; closed green spaces were least preferred.
• A strong positive correlation was found between environmental preference and improved positive mood.

Conclusions:

• VR is a viable tool for assessing human restoration in urban environments.
• Environmental preference is a significant predictor of positive mood enhancement and overall well-being.
• Findings provide guidance for optimizing urban planning to create more restorative environments.