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The relationship between plant and humans in indoor environment: A pilot test during the COVID-19 pandemic

Authors :
Yeo L.B.
Ling G.H.T.
Ghafar A. Abd
Mohamed S.A.
Othmani N.I.
Hamid N.H. Abdul
Mohamad W.S.N. Wan
Hasan R.
Aziz S.
Source :
BIO Web of Conferences, Vol 73, p 03001 (2023)
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
EDP Sciences, 2023.

Abstract

Little to no studies have examined the relationship between plants and humans during COVID-19, especially the effectiveness of plants in alleviating psychological distress when working in an office. The paper proposes a conceptual framework to investigate the existence of plants to reduce occupants' psychological distress during the pandemic. The selected site was a newly renovated office in an academic institution with all the essential furniture, and Epipremnum aureum was placed on the tabletop. Since the study was conducted during the pandemic, a 3D-rendered scene of the room was developed based on the actual settings of the office. A pilot test was employed in this stage of the study. The survey questionnaires were administered online, with 106 participants responding. Hayes Process Macro for moderation analysis was executed in SPSS v.23 to understand plant relationship with perceived emotional change, including the mediator-room's attractiveness. The pilot test results (actual and simulated models) show that putting E. aureum on a tabletop can positively influence the calmness of the indoor occupants and make them happy (direct effect). Plants that improve the room's attractiveness might not necessarily contribute to calming the indoor occupants, but they make them happy (indirect effect). Lastly, the conceptual framework provides insight to the designers, stakeholders, and policymakers on the importance of plants in reducing occupants' psychological distress and enhancing work productivity.

Details

Language :
English, French
ISSN :
21174458
Volume :
73
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
BIO Web of Conferences
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.57fa5ce87fb64afca349590190589da5
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1051/bioconf/20237303001