1| p a g emeasure every aspect (korpela, hartig, kaiser & fuhrer, 2001). a possible explanation...

ForfurtherandmoredetailedinformationpleaseaccessKaylinAdamson’sdissertationbyemailing:[email protected]

1|Page


1|Page

MASTER’SDEGREEINORGANISATIONALPSYCHOLOGY

UNIVERSITYOFTHEWITWATERSRAND

RESEARCHFINDINGS

IndoorplantsandperformanceoutcomesusingtheAttentionRestorationTheory

Masters Research Student:

Kaylin Adamson

Masters Supervisor: Professor Andrew Thatcher

Bidvest Execuflora Horticulturalist:

Robbie Strang


2|Page

IndoorplantsandperformanceoutcomesusingtheAttentionRestorationTheory

AbstractThecurrentstudyutilizedtheAttentionRestorationTheorytoinvestigatewhetherplants

inanofficecontextproducedrestorativeeffectsthatenableemployeestoperformbetter.

The Attention Restoration Theory asserts that individuals will experience increased

concentration after spending time in, or viewing nature. This studywas one of the first

attempts to empirically investigate the effect of indoor plants on experiences of

performance outcomes and perceptions of Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) within

South Africa. The researcher aimed to assess whether the individual’s nature identity

moderated the impact of the plants. Most previous studies on the outcomes of indoor

plants have been conducted in Western, Northern hemisphere contexts. In this

experimentalstudy,120participantswererandomlyassignedtooneofthreeconditions:

(1)noplantsorpicturesofplants;(2)onlyplants;(3)onlycanvaspicturesofplants.The

roomswere identical in every other respect. Participants completed two tasks (a card-

sorting task and a reading task) and two questionnaires, namely the connectedness to

nature scale to assess participant’s nature identity and a previously developed

questionnaire that aimed to assess task performance. Additionally, SE controls were

positionedineachofficetomeasurefluctuationsofairquality(i.e.temperature,humidity

andcarbondioxide levels) inorder toassess IEQ.Theresults fromaseriesof statistical

analysesdemonstratedareductioninparticipants’errors(p=0.001),apositivereactionto

thegiventask(p=0.000),aswellasareductioninparticipant’staskcompletiontime(p=

0.000).Theseresultsdemonstratedastatisticallysignificanteffectonperformanceinthe

presenceofplantsaswellasanimprovementinairqualitythroughareductionofcarbon

dioxide (p = 0.000). The results revealed that the plants condition was statistically

significantly different from that of the pictures of plants and the control conditionwith

regards to the performance outcomes. The result from the two-way ANOVA’s

demonstratedthatnature identitydidnotmoderate theaboverelationships(Errors:p=

0.132; Completion time:p=0.383; Reaction to the task:p=0.983). This study enhances

knowledgeregardingindoorplantswithintheSouthAfricancontextaswellaspractically

influencingworkingenvironmentswhereemployeesareexpectedtobeproductive.


3|Page

KeywordsIndoorPlants,Productivity,Performance,AirQuality,ConnectednesstoNature,BidvestExecuflora,

AttentionRestorationTheory

BackgroundWhile Indoor plants have been extensively researched and are prevalent in numerous

European and North American office environments (Keniger, Gaston, Irvine & Fuller,

2013), therehasbeena lackof researchwithin the SouthAfrican context regarding the

impact of indoor plants. Previously, research on interior plants have cited numerous

benefits within theWestern context, namely; improved productivity (Knight & Haslam,

2010)aswellasincreasesinmoraleandevenmoodinthepresenceofplants(Shibata&

Suzuki, 2004).However, there is little scientific evidence to support these claims. Thus,

researchshouldaimtoprovideconcreteevidencethat interactingwithplants isdirectly

linked tohumanhealthandperformance. If this canbeachieved therewill be sufficient

justificationfortheuseofinteriorplantswithinindoorenvironments.Withanincreasing

drivefororganisationstoreducecostsandincreaseproductivity,itisimportanttoprovide

quantifiable justification for the inclusion of plants in modern work environments,

particularlyinscarcelyresearchedcontextssuchasSouthAfrica.Industrialpsychologists

haveacontinuousinterestintheindividualfactorsinfluencinganorganisation.Similarly,

there is equal concern regarding the environmental factors that impact organisational

outcomes,suchasinteriorplantdesignsandtheireffects(Claudio,2011).

SampleandsamplingThe research obtained a sample of 120people from a variety of backgrounds and ages.

Datawasreceivedfrom120respondents.Agesofparticipantsrangedfrom18to77(legal

workingage),withanaverageageof33years(MD=33.72;SD=13,87).Thesamplewas

randomlydividedintothreegroups:(1)noplantsorpicturesofplants(2)onlyplants(3)

onlypicturesofplants.

MeasuresPlantsthatwerenon-floweringwereusedduetotheirqualitytocleantheair,specifically

dracaena marginata and the philodendron scandens. SE controls were installed and

appropriately labelled to ensure they were identifiable for the analysis of air quality.


4|Page

Pictures of plants were selected based on aesthetic appeal. Each condition/room was

showntobestatisticalidenticalpriortobeginningthequantitativeexperiment.

The study made use of previously developed questionnaires. The experimental battery

tookapproximately40minutestocompleteintotal.ThedatawascollectedbetweenJuly

andOctober2017.Participantsfirstcompletedthetwotimedtasks:(1)cardsortingtask

andthenthe(2)readingtask(Knight&Haslam,2010).The(3)individualperformancein

multiskillingquestionnairewasthencompleted(Knight&Haslam,2010).Abiographical

section was included within the questionnaire in order to capture the demographic

informationofthesample.Finally,participantscompletedthe(4)connectednesstonature

scale(CNS)(Mayer&Frantz,2004).Theseinstrumentswereselected,bytheresearcher,

toassistingatheringappropriatedata.

ResultsAllrequirementsforthedatawerefoundtobesatisfactory.Itwasstatisticallyshownthat

participants did notice the intervention (i.e. plants or pictures of plants). Statistical

analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between conditions (plant,

pictures of plants and control) and productivity.Productivitywasassessedby three

differentmeasures,namely:(1)totaltimeofthetask,(2)totalerroronthetaskand(3)the

reaction to the task. On all three measures of performance, indoor plants statistically

affectedperformance.Picturesofplantsoccasionallyaffectedperformance.Incomparison

tothecontrol/leanconditiontheplantshadthegreatestimpactfollowedbythepicturesof

plants.

Theseresultsaredemonstratedinavisualmannerbelow:


5|Page

Alternativeanalyseswereruntoexaminetherelationshipbetweenthethreeconditions

and air quality (IEQ).Therewasa statistically significantdifferencebetween theplant

condition incomparisontothecontrolconditionbasedonCO2 levels.Additionally, there

was a statistically significant difference between the pictures of plants condition in

comparisontothecontrolcondition.Thismayrequirefurtherinvestigation,asonewould

not expect the pictures of plants to influence CO2. Thus, in the presence of plants

(compared to thecontrolcondition) therewasan improvement (decrease) inCO2levels.

Acrossallthreeconditions,therewasnoeffectsonhumidityortemperature.

2400

2600

2800

3000

3200

Plant Picturesofplants

Control

TASKREACTION

TASKREACTION

02004006008001000

Plants Picturesofplants

Control

TOTALERROR

TOTALERROR

0100002000030000400005000060000

Plant PicturesofPlants

Control

TOTALTIME

TOTALTIME

VisualRepresentationofConditionto(1)Totaltimeforthetask

Note:Timewasrecordedinseconds

VisualRepresentationofConditionto(2)Totalerrorsonthetask

VisualRepresentationofConditionto(3)Reactiontothetask

Note:Higherscoresdemonstrateamore

positivereactiontothetask


6|Page

Finally, analyses were run to examine the relationship between conditions (plant,

pictures of plants and control) and the moderator of CNS (nature identity) to

productivity. The moderator of CNS does not affect the condition and productivity

relationship.Thus,CNSisnotamoderatingvariableasitdoesnotaffecttherelationshipof

indoorplantsandproductivity.

Multiple frequencies(Page10)wererunthatgaveadditional informationsuchas: inthe

controlcondition,mostparticipantsagreedthattheroomwassoulless.Additionally,most

participantsintheplantsconditionagreedthattheroomwasapleasantplaceinwhichto

work. Finally, most participants agreed that it was important to have plants within a

workplace.

ExplanationandRecommendation

ThecurrentstudywasareplicationofKnightandHaslam’s(2010)studywithintheSouth

Africancontext.InthecurrentstudytherearesimilaritiesinfindingsfortheSouthAfrican

context compared to the European context. Therefore, the current empirical findings

suggestthatSouthAfricacouldbenefitfromhavingindoorplantswithinanenvironment

through improved performance and air quality. Indoor plants should be as prevalent in

South Africa as they are in Europe and North America, as these findings advocate for

indoorplantusage.


7|Page

This study demonstrates the impact of the Attention Restoration Theory, as in the

experimentaldesignparticipantswereleftalonewiththeindoorplantsforapproximately

five minutes. Kaplan (1995) states that time in, or viewing nature leads to increased

mental capability. The findings suggest that this theoretical reasoning is correct as the

currentstudy’sresultsdemonstratethattimealoneinnatureorviewingnaturewithinthe

enrichedconditions,ledtoparticipants’initialrestorationfromtheirpreviousactivities.

However,theabovefindingsareinstarkcontradictionwithalargebodyofresearchthat

advocatedforlean(empty)officesincreasingproductivity(Tapping&Dunn,2006;Louis,

2007;Pruijt,2003).Previously, ithasbeenargued that leanoffices (control room in the

current study) led to increasedproductivity as theydonot incorporate anydistractions

that could shift the employee’s focus (Larsen, Adams, Deal, Kweon & Tyler, 1998;

Thompson, 2000). However, this research opposes the lean condition arguments and

presents finding that support the need for enriched conditions, particularly within the

presenceofindoorplants.

In thepresenceofplants, theresultsdemonstrate that theCO2 levelsdecreased,andthe

indoorenvironment’sairqualitywasimprovedasaresult.Thisaffirmsstudiesthatfound

plants have the ability to clean the air by removing CO2. However, thepicturesofplant

conditionalsodifferedfromthecontrolcondition.Thiswasanunexpectedfindingwithin

thisstudy.

Nature identity was not a moderator variable. A possible reason for this that nature

identity is amultidimensional construct that hasmany factors, it can be challenging to

measureeveryaspect(Korpela,Hartig,Kaiser&Fuhrer,2001).Apossibleexplanationof

this findingmay be that due to the South African context and culture of spending time

outdoors, thesampleusedmayhavealreadyhadahighnatureidentity.Eventhoughthe

spreadofCNS(natureidentity)acrosstheconditionswasequal(Ulrich&Parsons,1992).

These findings represent advancement on previous studies in providing a direct,

quantitativeassessmentofthebenefitsofindoorplantsandpicturesofplants.Thecurrent

study’sdesignledtoincreasedcontrolofrelevantfactorsduetothestandardisationofthe

rooms, IVmanipulation, and the comparison groupswithin the study. Further research


8|Page

should be donewithin the SouthAfrican context to investigatewhether these are long-

term effects that remain constant over time, possibly conducting a longitudinal study in

comparison to a cross-sectional study. Additionally, further research should be done to

determinetheeffectwithinthephysicalofficeenvironment.

More specifically, findings demonstrate the value to enrichworkplaces through the simple

andeffectiveimplementationofindoorplants.Thestudyestablishedthatinthepresenceof

plants there is an improvement in aspects of air quality as well as an increase in task

performance,regardlessofone’snatureidentity.Theoverallfindingsprovideevidenceforthe

positive benefits of plants within the South African context. This was a valuable finding

demonstratingthatindoorplantsimproveaspectsofairqualityandhaveapositiveeffecton

aSouthAfricansample,regardlessoftheindividualspresentednatureidentity.


9|Page

ReferencesBabbie,E.(2013).ThePracticeofSocialResearch.Wadsworth:CENGAGElearning.Claudio,L. (2011).Plantinghealthier indoorair.EnvironmentalHealthPerspective,119,

426-427.Keniger, L. E., Gaston, K. J., Irvine, K.N.,& Fuller, R. A. (2013).What are the benefits of

interacting with nature?. International journal of environmental research andpublichealth,10,913-935.

Knight,C.,&Haslam,S.A. (2010).Therelativemeritsof lean,enriched,andempoweredoffices: an experimental examination of the impact of workspace managementstrategies on well-being and productivity. Journal of Experimental Psychology:Applied,16,158.

Kaplan,R.(1993).Theroleofnatureinthecontextoftheworkplace.Landscapeandurbanplanning,26,193-201.

Korpela,K.M.,Hartig,T.,Kaiser,F.G.,&Fuhrer,U.(2001).Restorativeexperienceandself-regulationinfavouriteplaces.Environmentandbehaviour,33,572-589.

Larsen,L.,Adams,J.,Deal,B.,Kweon,B.S.,&Tyler,E.(1998).Plantsintheworkplacetheeffects of plant density on productivity, attitudes, and perceptions. EnvironmentandBehavior,30,261-281.

Louis, R. S. (2007). Creating the ultimate lean office: A zero-waste environment withprocessautomation.NewYork,NY:ProductivityPress.

Mayer, F. S., & Frantz, C. M. (2004). The connectedness to nature scale: A measure ofindividuals’ feeling in community with nature. Journal of environmentalpsychology,24,503-515.

Pruijt, H. (2003). Teams between neo-Taylorism and anti-Taylorism. Economic andIndustrialDemocracy,24,77–101.

Shibata,S.,&Suzuki,N.(2004).Effectsofanindoorplantoncreativetaskperformanceandmood.Scandinavianjournalofpsychology,45,373-381.

Thompson, J. (2000). Lean production for the office: Common sense ideas to help yourofficecontinuouslyimprove.Toronto,Canada:Productive.

Ulrich, R.S. and Parsons, R., (1992). Influences of passive experiences with plants onindividualwellbeingandhealth. In:Relf,D. ed.The roleofhorticulture inhumanwell-being and social development: a national symposium, 19-21 April 1990,Arlington,Virginia.TimberPress,Portland,93-105.

Orwell,R.L.,Wood,R.A.,Burchett,M.D.,Tarran, J.,&Torpy,F.(2006).Thepotted-plantmicrocosm substantially reduces indoor air VOC pollution: II. Laboratory study.Water,Air,andSoilPollution,177,59-80.


10|Page

FREQUENCIES:

1| p a g emeasure every aspect (korpela, hartig, kaiser & fuhrer, 2001). a possible explanation...

Documents