Influences of Foliage Plants on Human Stress during Thermal Biofeedback Training

1995/04/01 by Cammie K. Coleman, Richard K. Mattson
Neuroscience · Psychology · #Animal and Plant Science Education #Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies

paper · pdf · doi:10.21273/horttech.5.2.137

openalex publication_date 1995/04/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11

Abstract

Twelve 20-minute thermal biofeedback sessions were conducted with 26 university students. Visual stimuli were provided by a living foliage plant, a life-sized color photograph of that plant, or a metal stool (control). Of the participants, 38% responded positively to the presence of a live plant or plant photograph, while 23% showed lower stress in the control room. Stress reduction, as indicated by higher skin temperatures, occurred within the first 5 to 8 minutes of a 20-minute thermal-biofeedback session. A nonplant visual stimulus was not part of the experiment. The results are not intended as comparative, nor do they attribute unique or superior effects to plants. Due to the small number of participants, no significant results were obtained, but the trends were important and are being reported to help further research in this area.

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