AI Insight
This study examined how different visual atmospheres in virtual reality horticultural environments affect user experience for relaxation purposes. Researchers created two VR garden scenes with contrasting visual tones—a bright "Luminous Canopy" and a darker "Nocturnal Canopy"—and collected qualitative field notes from 14 participants along with preference ratings during an 11-day exhibition. The bright scene evoked feelings of vitality and hope while the dark scene promoted calmness and introspection, with 64.3% of participants preferring the luminous environment, though preferences varied based on individual mood and context.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that therapeutic VR environments should offer personalized options rather than one-size-fits-all designs, as users have diverse needs depending on their emotional state and desired outcome. This has practical implications for mental health applications, hospital settings, and wellness programs that use VR for stress reduction and relaxation.
Understand the Science
IntroductionVirtual reality (VR) horticultural environments are an emerging area, yet little is known about how environmental visual tonevisual tone, as one dimension of the overall environment, may be associated with influences user experience in therapeutic contexts.MethodsWe designed two VR horticultural scenes with different visual tones, and collected field notes from participants who experienced both scenes during an 11-day public exhibition. Quantitative preference and relaxation scores were also collected.ResultsThematic analysis of field notes (N = 14) revealedgenerated four main themes: (1) emotional and sensory responses to the two scenes with Luminous Canopy associated with vitality and hope while Nocturnal Canopy associated with calmness, introspection, and tranquility; (2) plant familiarity and recognition, where familiar plants were associated with comfort while unfamiliar plants were associated with curiosity; (3) a safety–exploration tension across scenes; and (4) contextual fit and situational preference, with preference varying by mood and context. Quantitative results showed that 64.3% of participants preferred the Luminous Canopy.DiscussionParticipants’ responses suggest that personalized VR therapeutic environments may be beneficial for future therapeutic environment design. Participants’ diverse preferences suggest that offering multiple scene options may better accommodate different user needs.