Search Results (2)

Access to an unobstructed view of the outside through a window has been shown to play a critical role in supporting occupants’ visual comfort, psychological well-being, and cognitive performance, as it provides environmental connection and reduces stress. The aim of this study was to investigate how window view assessment ratings differ between “view owners” (individuals with long-term experience of the view) and “view observers” (those who view photos of a view). Findings from 12 in-person workshops on window view assessment are presented. The participants were 207 students from six European universities. Each participant presented their window view as “view owner”, while the remining students rated it on the 1–9 Likert scale as “view observers”. The ratings given by the “view owners” (prior to workshops) were significantly higher than those given by the “view observers”, showing the influence of familiarity and long-term experience. The additional contextual information about the interior and narrative descriptions provided orally by the “view owners” had a small positive effect. Night views were rated lower than day views by the “view observers”. The findings highlight the impact of long-term experience on the assessment of the window view and encourage the inclusion of night-view in recommendations. Full article

Background and Objectives: In recent years, there has been a significant increase in interest in the health benefits of contact with nature. The theoretical and practical aspects of this issue are constantly being investigated. It is worth noting, however, that there is a large group of people for whom the only available form of contact with nature can only be through images (the view outside the window, photos and films about nature), recorded sounds of nature or descriptions of nature. Research indicating how much exposure to nature in the dimension of virtual reality achieves improvements in well-being, mood and vitality is therefore urgently needed. Material and Methods: The main goal of the experiment was to examine whether watching a 20-min 2D video of forest environment or reading a textbook on forest knowledge for 20 min would bring any psychological benefits. The order of both exposures was intentionally changed (reversed) for every second participant in this study to reduce the order effect. A group of 16 volunteers, students of Warsaw University of Life Sciences, took part in the experiment. The psychological tests before and after each of the two parts of the experiment (viewing a picture with sound and reading a book) were established using five questionnaires: Profile of Mood State (POMS); Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS); Restorative Outcome Scale (ROS); Subjective Vitality Scale (SVS) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Results: As a result of the analyses, a 20-min viewing of a 2D video of a forest with natural sounds of nature was shown to have a positive effect on the psychological relaxation of the subjects in the form of an increase in restorativeness and vitality in the participants of the experiment, as well as a greater decrease in negative feelings, tension and anger than when reading a forest-themed book. Watching a video of a landscape can reduce tension and anger levels significantly, which can be an important guideline in relation to the interior design of public spaces and the protection of employees from the adverse effects of psychosocial working conditions, as well as the desire to stabilize anger and maintain emotional stability in everyday life. Full article