University of Cambridge
Biophilia and Wellbeing: A multi-method study on indoor plants, mental health, and prosocial behaviour
Abstract
dc:description.abstractThe rapid growth of urban populations and the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted challenges to human health and wellbeing. Built environments, particularly indoor spaces, play a crucial role in promoting health, with biophilia — human innate connection to nature — being a factor. A literature review illustrates the relationship between exposure to nature and both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, identifying research gaps. A scoping review further informed the methodologies used in three empirical studies. Grounded in environmental psychology and positive psychology, this dissertation investigates the impact of indoor plants on mental health and prosocial behaviour, alongside examining the preferences for plant characteristics and its relation to perceived wellbeing. Three studies were conducted with students at the University of Cambridge, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data. Study 1 (n=287) employed an online within-subject experiment to assess the effects of viewing indoor plants on perceived mental well-being and prosociality, while controlling for individual differences. Study 2 (n=392) used an online survey to explore student perceptions and preferences for plant characteristics and their impact on perceived wellbeing. Study 3 (n=69) was a longitudinal field experiment which adopted a repeated-measures approach to examine the short-term and long-term effects of caring for indoor plants in physical environments on mental wellbeing and prosocial behaviour. Study 1 demonstrated that viewing indoor plants improved mood, pleasure, relaxation, positive affect, reduced negative affect, perceived restorativeness, empathy, and prosocial orientation. The field study (Study 3) reinforced these findings, showing both immediate and lasting increases in mental wellbeing and prosociality following plant care. Intriguingly, improvements in relaxation and prosocial behaviour took longer to observe, likely due to the stress and responsibility associated with plant care as well as the time required for behavioural changes to take effect. Additionally, the Study 2 revealed that plant complexity, coherence, arrangement, and multisensory interaction with plants shape perceptions of wellbeing and strengthen a deeper connection with nature. Participants also showed a preference for indoor plants over artificial alternatives or cut flowers. This dissertation elucidates the unique benefits of indoor plants compared to views of outdoor nature. Scattering indoor plants brings nature indoors and may enhance nature connection through three-dimensional interaction. Furthermore, caring for plants offers additional benefits beyond passive exposure, as it fosters a bond with the plants. Witnessing plants thrive can trigger a sense of accomplishment and fulfilment. Having a plant also personalised the space. In public areas, indoor plants create a sense of refuge. The lasting impact of indoor plants on mental wellbeing and prosociality underscores their potential for integration into built environments for sustained use. This interdisciplinary research, combining architecture and psychology, sheds light on how indoor plants contribute to long-term mental, social, and community wellbeing within the context of the built environment, reflecting how indoor plant complements urban greening strategies aimed at enhancing quality of life and promoting both hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing in urban settings.
Degree
thesis:*- Name dc:type.qualificationname
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Level dc:type.qualificationlevel
- Doctoral
- Grantor dc:publisher.institution
- University of Cambridge
- Year dc:date.issued
- 2024
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author dc:creator
-
- Lee, Bing-Tao
- Advisor dc:contributor.advisor
-
- Steemers, Koen
Subjects
dc:subject × 5Rights
dc:rightsIdentifiers
dc:identifier.*- DOI dc:identifier.doi
- https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.118348
- OAI identifier oai:identifier
- oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/384321