Biophilic interventions in real and virtual environments reduce stress during cognitively demanding tasks.

ABSTRACT: Biophilic design integrates natural elements into indoor environments to mitigate the negative effects of urbanization on human well-being. However, its efficacy in reducing stress during demanding tasks and the extent to which virtual biophilic interventions replicate real-world benefits remain unclear. We investigated whether a small-scale biophilic intervention-a removable, medium-sized living wall (LW) containing plants-reduces stress during performance of a cognitively demanding working memory task and positively influences emotions and environmental judgment. Its effects were compared to those of a virtual simulation. Forty-one participants, assigned to either a real (N = 21) or virtual (N = 20) environment, completed two sessions: one with the LW, one with an object-filled shelf. He

SUBMITTER: Serra H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12612148 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature