The psychological benefits of indoor plants: A critical review of the experimental literature

People have been bringing plants into residential and other indoor settings for centuries, but little is known about their psychological effects. In the present article, we critically review the experimental literature on the psychological benefits of indoor plants. We focus on benefits gained throu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of environmental psychology 2009-12, Vol.29 (4), p.422-433
Main Authors: Bringslimark, Tina, Hartig, Terry, Patil, Grete G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied psychology
Biological and medical sciences
Creativity
Emotional states
Environment. Ecology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Heterogeneity
Human issues in horticulture
Human > nature relations
Measurement
Pain
People > plant interactions
Plants
Psychological restoration
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Restorative environments
SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP
SOCIAL SCIENCES
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Summary:People have been bringing plants into residential and other indoor settings for centuries, but little is known about their psychological effects. In the present article, we critically review the experimental literature on the psychological benefits of indoor plants. We focus on benefits gained through passive interactions with indoor plants rather than on the effects of guided interactions with plants in horticultural therapy or the indirect effect of indoor plants as air purifiers or humidifiers. The reviewed experiments addressed a variety of outcomes, including emotional states, pain perception, creativity, task-performance, and indices of autonomic arousal. Some findings recur, such as enhanced pain management with plants present, but in general the results appear to be quite mixed. Sources of this heterogeneity include diversity in experimental manipulations, settings, samples, exposure durations, and measures. After addressing some overarching theoretical issues, we close with recommendations for further research with regard to experimental design, measurement, analysis, and reporting.
ISSN:0272-4944
1522-9610
1522-9610
DOI:10.1016/j.jenvp.2009.05.001