Plants for People research programme

Citation

(1998), "Plants for People research programme", Property Management, Vol. 16 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/pm.1998.11316dab.006

Plants for People research programme

Plants for People research programme

Findings of a new study working on the theme of the Plants for People research programme, which is supported by the Flower Council of Holland, has shown that participants in a work environment were 12 per cent more productive and less stressed in the presence of plants.

The results can be used by retailers as another great selling point for indoor plants. In addition to their ornamental value and air cleansing qualities, they can now promote the positive effects that plants have in increasing staff efficiency in the workplace.

The study, conducted by Professor Virginia Lohr, of Washington State University, looked at the benefits of adding plants to a windowless workplace, a computer lab. Its findings provide concrete statistics to show that plants in the workplace can help businesses by increasing employees' productivity and decreasing their stress.

Lohr's study is the first to use live containerised plants in interior settings. Previous studies, such as that undertaken by Roger Ulrich, of Texas University, have examined the recovery rates in pre-stressed subjects, viewing videotapes of plants in natural settings, and reported quicker and more complete recovery from stress.

Research processA majority of the participants were volunteers from a university class and ranged in age from 18 to 46 years old. Half were male and half were female and 81 per cent said they liked plants before the study.

To test productivity and induce stress, researchers used a specifically designed computer program. The program randomly displayed one of three shapes of different sizes on the computer screen and participants were asked to press a key that corresponded with the shape on the screen as quickly as possible after they recognised the shape. A total of 100 symbols were presented in the same randomised sequence to each subject, to keep the complexity of the task identical for each, and time measured readings were taken.

The emotional states, pre- and post-task blood pressures and the pulse of each participant was measured during the experiment. To test emotional state, subjects had to indicate, on a scale of 1 to 5, the degree to which each statement, such as "I feel sad", described the way they felt at that moment.

The presence and absence of plants were the only variables in the study. For the treatment with plants present, common low-light tolerant varieties of plants were added around the periphery of the room. Floor, table and hanging plants were added to give the appearance of a well-designed interiorscape. Plants were positioned so that clusters would be present in each subject's view without interfering with their activities.

Up to eight subjects were tested at one time and each was tested either in the presence or in the absence of plants, not under both conditions.

ResultsThe participants who worked in the presence of plants reported feeling more attentive after completing the productivity tasks than those who worked in the absence of plants. When compared, scores of the group that work in the presence of plants showed significant increases in post-task attentiveness.

While each group made a similar number of mistakes on the test, reaction time was 12 per cent faster for those who worked in the presence of plants. This clearly indicates that plants may have contributed to increased productivity.

Consistent with Ulrich's findings, the study showed that plants had a moderating influence on blood pressure.

For many, this study has confirmed the long-held beliefs of interiorscapers that live indoor containerised plants can induce the same response as videotapes of natural settings and that more research should be undertaken.

In the meantime, these results provide further evidence of the benefits of interior plants which retailers can make use of to sell more plants.