The presence of bright colors and greenery in our cities can make people happier and calmer, according to an unusual experiment involving virtual reality headphones.
A team of researchers from the University of Lille, France, is using VR to test how volunteers respond to variations of a minimalist urban landscape of concrete, glass and metal. The 36 participants walked around the lab wearing VR headphones with eye trackers, and the researchers adjusted their surroundings by adding combinations of vegetation, as well as bright yellow and pink colors and contrasting, angular patterns along the trail.
By tracking their frequency of blinking, the researchers learned what volunteers were most interested in. Participants then completed a questionnaire about their experience.
Researchers have found that volunteers walk slower and their heart rate speeds up when they see green vegetation in their urban environment. They also kept their heads higher, looking forward and around instead of at the ground. Although the addition and subtraction of color did not make as much of a difference for the participants, they were more curious and vigilant when color patterns were added to the ground on which they actually set foot, according to the study. According to Yvonne Delevoy-Tearle, a professor of cognitive psychology at the university and lead author of the study, the results show that the urban experience has become more enjoyable.
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A study published Friday in Frontiers in Virtual Reality suggests that some small changes in the city raise morale, even when people experience them through virtual reality. “We believe that variations in human behavior in virtual reality can predict the changes that would occur in natural conditions,” said Delevoy-Turrell.
Michal Matlon, an architectural psychologist and consultant who was not involved in the study, said: “I think that although most people value nature in cities – they find it beautiful and usually react with anger when they take it away – they do not. to fully understand how useful it is to spend time in nature.
“We often underestimate the effects that enriching ordinary places with nature can have.
Matlon said that even the smallest changes, as shown in the study, can affect the experience of someone on their way to work, for example.
Manhattan’s High Line Park is a good example of adding vegetation to urban areas. Photo: Spencer Platt / Getty Images
The findings are part of a growing body of research on the restorative effects of vegetation and color in urban settings.
However, Steffen Lehmann, a professor of architecture at the University of Nevada in the United States who was not involved in the study, wondered if the VR simulation could provide input to support the thesis. He also said he was concerned that the study was reductive.
“It is not very useful to build a scientific argument on the concrete versus vegetation dichotomy,” he said. “[This issue] requires a more differentiated and nuanced discussion. “
Delevoye-Turrell said using VR to conduct the study was essential to the experiment, as testing the elements in a real environment would mean very little control over the distractions experienced by participants, such as noise, traffic or changes over time.
“We have reached the technological capacity to create a virtual environment that offers such immersive experiences,” [in contrast to] natural conditions, “said Delevois-Terrell.
In future research, she said she also plans to measure physiological changes, such as temperature, and add odors and sound to create a multisensory, immersive environment.
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