Human Well-Being Promoted By Trees, Especially Those With
Preferred
Forms
Introduction
People
respond psychologically and physiologically to urban and natural
landscapes. Natural scenes elicit
greater calming responses than urban scenes. Viewing trees in urban
landscapes has been associated with improved
health. Different components of nature
might promote different human responses. People respond differently to
trees than to other elements in nature. People also prefer particular
tree forms,
such as the low, spreading form of savanna trees. The objectives of
this research were to
compare people's responses to urban scenes containing trees of
different forms
or inanimate objects.
Methods
Subjects' psychological and physiological states were monitored while
viewing individual computer-enhanced slides of urban scenes with
inanimate
objects or conical, globose, or spreading tree forms. Emotional states
were measured with a
self-report survey. Blood pressure and
skin temperature were measured. Aesthetic preference for each scene
being viewed also was evaluated.
Results
People reported more positive emotions, such as
friendliness, and fewer negative emotions, such as sadness, when
looking at
urban scenes with trees than when looking at the same scenes containing
inanimate
objects. In some cases, the positive emotions reported were magnified
when viewing the
spreading
tree. Scenes with inanimate objects were rated the least attractive,
while
those with the spreading trees were rated the most attractive. There
were no significant differences in blood
pressure or skin temperature. However, trends
were similar to those for emotional responses. People
tended to be more relaxed when looking at scenes with trees than those
with
inanimate objects, and the response was accentuated with the spreading
tree form.
 
Conclusions
People responded more positively to trees with conical, globose, or
spreading forms in urban settings than to the same settings with
inanimate
objects. These results support the
importance of using trees of any form to enhance urban environments.
Positive responses were intensified for trees
with spreading forms. Spreading trees
may be important in areas, such as healthcare facilities, where people
are confined
for
extended periods.
This research was partially supported
by the Idaho Department of Lands.
Full study reported in:
Lohr, V.I. and C.H. Pearson-Mims. 2006. Responses to scenes
with spreading, rounded, and conical tree forms.
Environment & Behavior 38(5):667-688.
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