scholarly journals Psychological and Physiological Relaxation Induced by Nature-Working with Ornamental Plants

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiang Tao ◽  
Ahmad Hassan ◽  
Chen Qibing ◽  
Liu Yinggao ◽  
Guo Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Trait Anxiety ◽  
Ornamental Plants ◽  
Well Being ◽  
State Trait Anxiety Inventory ◽  
Psychological Benefits ◽  
Control Activity ◽  
Psychophysiological Responses ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Physiological Relaxation

Objective. Nature has a significant impact on general well-being. However, till date, little psychophysiological evidence is available on the benefits of nature-based activities in adults. The primary goal of this study was to determine the physiological and psychological benefits of horticultural activity in adults. The participants were instructed to perform the making of a flower basket (horticultural activity) and a computer task (i.e., control activity) was compared. Methods. A total of 40 Chinese females (mean age 22.2 ± 0.9 years) participated in this experiment. The Blood pressure, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the electroencephalograms (EEGs) were used to measure the participants’ psychophysiological responses. Results. Analysis of the STAI data showed a lower anxiety score after performing the horticultural activity than after performing the control activity. Furthermore, in the EEG evaluation, variations in the brainwaves were observed after both activities. Conclusions. The study results suggest that horticultural activity induced physiological and psychological relaxation in adults.

Differences in personality between sustained hypertension, isolated clinic hypertension and normotension

2007 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesús Sanz ◽  
María Paz García‐Vera ◽  
Inés Magán ◽  
Regina Espinosa ◽  
María Fortún
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Trait Anxiety ◽  
Behaviour Pattern ◽  
White Coat Hypertension ◽  
State Trait Anxiety Inventory ◽  
Jenkins Activity Survey ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Sustained Hypertension ◽  
Male Patients ◽  
Activity Survey

The aim of this study was to determine whether there are differences in personality between hypertension and normotension. Forty‐two male patients with essential hypertension were divided into two groups after self‐assessment of blood pressure, 18 with sustained hypertension and 24 with isolated clinic (white coat) hypertension, and were compared with 25 men with normotension on Spielberger's State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Jenkins Activity Survey. In line with hypotheses, the sustained hypertensive group showed higher levels of trait anxiety, Type A behaviour pattern, and hard‐driving behaviours/competitiveness than the normotensive group, whereas isolated clinic hypertensives occupied an intermediate position between those two groups. Results provide support to the hypothesised relationship between personality and hypertension and stress the need of distinguishing sustained hypertension from isolated clinic hypertension. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

scholarly journals Paws for Thought: A Controlled Study Investigating the Benefits of Interacting with a House-Trained Dog on University Students Mood and Anxiety

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 846 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thelwell
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
University Students ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Attitude Scale ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
State Trait Anxiety Inventory ◽  
Psychological Benefits ◽  
Anxiety Levels ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Health And Well Being

University students have been found to have higher rates of psychological distress than that of the general population, which reportedly rises significantly upon starting university and does not return to pre-university levels throughout their time in university. It is therefore highly important to find ways to improve student health and well-being. One way that may help is by interacting with animals. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether interacting with a dog would have a positive effect on university students’ mood and anxiety. This study assigned 82 university students to either the experimental condition (dog interaction, n = 41) or to the control condition (dog video, n = 41). The students completed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Expanded Form (PANAS-X), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Pet Attitude Scale before their assigned conditions, to evaluate their mood and anxiety levels and attitudes to animals. The participants again completed the STAI and PANAS-X Form after their condition, to assess for possible changes in anxiety and mood. The findings of the study indicated that all participants, regardless of condition, experienced a reduction in their anxiety and an improvement in their mood across time. However, directly interacting with a dog resulted in greater declines in anxiety and improved mood scores, more so than watching a video. Consequently, it appears there are psychological benefits to be gained by students from interacting with dogs and it is hoped this study will help to inform future best practices in designing student dog interventions.

scholarly journals The community feeling versus anxiety, self-esteem and well-being – introductory research

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-174
Author(s):  
Alina Kałużna-Wielobób
Keyword(s):  
Trait Anxiety ◽  
Common Good ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Individual Characteristic ◽  
Middle Adulthood ◽  
State Trait Anxiety Inventory ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
The Common ◽  
Relationship Of

Abstract In accordance with the concept of A. Adler (1933/1986) - the community feeling is an individual characteristic which is relatively stable throughout life. It refers to an inner relationship of one person with other people: a feeling of unity with others or separation from others. People with high community feeling are motivated in their actions by striving towards the common good, whereas people with low community feeling intend to exhibit their superiority over others in their actions, which would allow them to compensate for their inner feeling of inferiority. On the basis of the Adler concept the following hypotheses were formulated: There is a negative connection between the community feeling and anxiety. The community feeling is positively connected with self-esteem and psychological well-being. A slight increase in the community feeling can be observed with age. The community feeling increases in the age of middle adulthood. 585 people between 20 to 65 years of age were examined. Methods: Community Feeling Questionnaire, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-Being. The hypotheses assumed were verified.

scholarly journals Psychological Benefits of Walking through Forest Areas

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. 2804 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chorong Song ◽  
Harumi Ikei ◽  
Bum-Jin Park ◽  
Juyoung Lee ◽  
Takahide Kagawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trait Anxiety ◽  
Mood State ◽  
Positive Mood ◽  
Psychological Responses ◽  
State Trait Anxiety Inventory ◽  
Psychological Benefits ◽  
Effective Reduction ◽  
Anxiety Levels ◽  
High Trait ◽  
High Trait Anxiety

This study aimed to clarify the psychological benefits of brief walks through forest areas. In addition, we aimed to examine the associations between psychological responses and trait anxiety levels. Five-hundred-and-eighty-five participants (mean age, 21.7 ± 1.6 years) were instructed to walk predetermined courses through forest (test) and city (control) areas for 15 min. The Profile of Mood State (POMS) questionnaire and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were used to assess participants’ psychological responses and trait anxiety levels, respectively. The results revealed that walking through forest areas decreased the negative moods of “depression-dejection”, “tension-anxiety”, “anger-hostility”, “fatigue”, and “confusion” and improved the participants’ positive mood of “vigor” compared with walking through city areas. Furthermore, a significant correlation was found between participants’ trait anxiety levels and their changes in the subscale of “depression-dejection” of POMS after walking through forest areas. A more effective reduction in the feeling of “depression-dejection” after walking through forest areas was observed for participants with high trait anxiety levels than for those with normal and low trait anxiety levels. This study showed the psychological benefits of walking through forest areas and identified a significant correlation between psychological responses to walking through forests and trait anxiety levels.

scholarly journals Positive and Negative Emotions and Nonattachment in Vietnamese Buddhists

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 32
Author(s):  
Hang T. M. Nguyen ◽  
Hoang V. Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Trait Anxiety ◽  
Positive Emotion ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Religious Commitment ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
State Trait Anxiety Inventory ◽  
Buddhist Practice ◽  
Lay People

Several research has shown that nonattachment, a Buddhist practice, could reduce negative emotions and improve positive emotions (Sahdra & Shaver, 2013; Sahdra, Shaver, & Brown, 2010; Wang, Wong, & Yeh, 2016; Wendling, 2012). We aimed to explore such influences in a sample of Vietnamese Buddhists (N = 472). Our methods included the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI; Spielberger et al., 1983), the Nonattachment Scale (NAS; Sahdra et al., 2010), and a demographic and religious questionnaire. Results showed that positive emotion scores (M = 2.89, SD = .502) of participants were significantly higher than that of their negative emotion scores (M = 2.10, SD = .587, p < .001). People with strong religious commitment such as monks, lay-people who practiced at pagoda, and lay-people who practiced with sangha had higher positive emotion scores and less negative emotion scores than those whose religious commitment were weak. Nonattachment was positively correlated with positive emotions (r = .47, p < .01) and negatively correlated with negative emotions (r = -.37, p < .01). Nonattachment could also explain 21.7% positive emotions variance (p < .001) and 12.4% negative emotions variance (p < .001). Nonattachment and religious commitment could, therefore, influence greatly positive emotions in Buddhists. This result suggested a discussion about applying nonattachment to prevent emotional problems and improve psychological well-being.

Effects of different landscape visual stimuli on psychophysiological responses in Chinese students

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 1006-1016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingyan Jiang ◽  
Ahmad Hassan ◽  
Qibing Chen ◽  
Yinggao Liu
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Visual Stimulation ◽  
Chinese Students ◽  
Differential Method ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
State Trait Anxiety Inventory ◽  
Psychophysiological Responses ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Relaxation Effects ◽  
Urban City

Human–plant interactions have positive effects on human health. However, the effects of plants and the environment on psychophysiological responses have not been thoroughly explored. This study examined the physiological (electroencephalography (EEG)) and psychological (the semantic differential method (SDM) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)) responses of adults viewing different landscape pictures. The physiological responses of 50 Chinese students were recorded by measuring blood pressure and EEG, and psychological responses were measured using the STAI and SDM. The following treatments were assessed: (1) urban city traffic photographs (control), T0; (2) garden landscape photographs, T1; (3) natural scenery landscape photographs, T2; (4) forest landscape photographs, T3 and (5) city landscape photographs, T4. Students’ blood pressure was lowered after visual stimulation with different landscape pictures than with the control. In the (SDM) evaluation, students felt more natural, relaxed and comfortable after viewing landscape pictures and had low anxiety scores. EEG results showed higher alpha, beta, delta, theta and gamma frequencies after visual stimulation with landscape pictures than with the control. In conclusion, different landscape pictures have psychophysiological relaxation effects on adults.

scholarly journals Efectos psicológicos de la práctica del Método Pilates en una muestra universitaria

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 916 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Herrera-Gutiérrez ◽  
Marina Olmos-Soria ◽  
David Brocal-Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Effects ◽  
Anxiety State ◽  
Sports Facilities ◽  
State Trait Anxiety Inventory ◽  
Psychological Benefits ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
Sedentary Group ◽  
Pilates Method ◽  
The University

<p>The overall purpose of this research was to test the possible psychological effects of the practice of Pilates and, in particular, the effect on the degree of anxiety experienced. This is a method of physical training aimed at improving postural hygiene and psychological well-being, highly recommended today by health professionals, both for people with diagnosed diseases and for preventive level. So far, the physical and psychological benefits associated with regular physical activity practice have already been demonstrated. However, only a few studies have investigated the specific effects of the Pilates Method. This paper examined the anxiety (state and trait) in a sedentary group and in another group of usual practitioners of this method (staff, students, and users of sports facilities at the University of Murcia, Spain). The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) of Spielberger, Gorsuch and Lushene (2002) was used to assess anxiety. The implications that the results of this work can have from the perspective of health promotion in the university are discussed, as well as its contribution to public health.</p>

scholarly journals Effects of Variations in Color and Organ of Color Expression in Urban Ornamental Bamboo Landscapes on the Physiological and Psychological Responses of College Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 1151
Author(s):  
Yuqian Wang ◽  
Huahong Qu ◽  
Tong Bai ◽  
Qibing Chen ◽  
Xi Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Systolic Blood Pressure ◽  
Ornamental Plants ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Pulse Profile ◽  
Chinese College Students ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Visual Characteristics ◽  
The Impact

Visual characteristics (e.g., the color and shape) of ornamental plants can significantly affect their beneficial influence on humans. Prior research, however, has largely focused on the effects of the color or shape of flowers and the impact of differences in the visual appearance of foliage plants and plants with ornamental stalks has not yet been fully explored. This study examined the psychophysiological effects of urban ornamental bamboos that expressed different colors on different organs. Three hundred Chinese college students participated in the experiment. They were randomly assigned to view images of five ornamental bamboo landscapes with the following different visual characteristics: green stalks (GS) non-green stalks (NGS) multicolored stalks (MS) green leaves (GL) and multicolored leaves (ML). Before and after viewing the images, their EEG, blood pressure, pulse, profile of mood states (POMS) score, and state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) score were measured. The results showed that ornamental bamboo landscapes have extremely significant beneficial psychophysiological effects as compared to urban landscapes. After viewing landscapes in the NGS and MS groups, EEG, blood pressure, and pulse rate of subjects showed more beneficial changes. Significant gender differences were observed only in systolic blood pressure and in the vigor score. In addition, an extremely significant interaction between color and organ of color expression was observed on systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Organ of expression had significant main effects on all the physiological indicators and the fatigue, vigor, and irritability scores, while color only had a main effect on systolic blood pressure. Our study concluded that viewing urban ornamental bamboo landscapes with different visual characteristics has different effects on humans. With regards to ornamental bamboo, the organ expressing the color had a greater impact on psychophysiological responses than did the type of color itself. These study results can provide guidance for landscape construction of urban greening.

scholarly journals Comparing Levels of Anxiety During Bed and Shower Baths in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

2010 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana de Lima Lopes ◽  
Luiz Antonio Nogueira-Martins ◽  
Maria Aparecida Batistão Gonçalves ◽  
Alba Lucia Bottura Leite de Barros
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Myocardial Infarction ◽  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Acute Myocardial Infarction ◽  
Crossover Study ◽  
High Blood Pressure ◽  
Trait Anxiety ◽  
State Anxiety ◽  
State Trait Anxiety Inventory ◽  
Previous Hospitalization

This study compared the levels of anxiety presented by patients with acute myocardial infarction in bed and shower baths and the influence of antecedent variables: age, gender, medications, previous hospitalization and/or bed bath, patients' preference regarding the professional's gender, risk factors and anxiety-traits. This crossover study was conducted between February and August 2007 in coronary units. The sample was composed of 71 patients with acute myocardial infarction. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was applied before the baths (bed and shower baths), immediately after the baths and twenty minutes after the second evaluation. Results revealed that patients were more anxious in the bed bath than in the shower in the three assessments (p <0.0001) and the only variable that interfered with state-anxiety was high blood pressure.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document