Electroencephalography (EEG)-Based Neural Emotional Response to the Vegetation Density and Integrated Sound Environment in a Green Space
Emotion plays an important role in physical and mental health. Green space is an environment conducive to physical and mental recovery and influences human emotions through visual and auditory stimulation. Both the visual environment and sound environment of a green space are important factors affec...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Forests |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/10/1380 |
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| author | Chengcheng Zeng Wei Lin Nian Li Ya Wen Yanxin Wang Wenyuan Jiang Jialing Zhang Haolin Zhong Xin Chen Wenhao Luo Qibing Chen |
| author_facet | Chengcheng Zeng Wei Lin Nian Li Ya Wen Yanxin Wang Wenyuan Jiang Jialing Zhang Haolin Zhong Xin Chen Wenhao Luo Qibing Chen |
| author_sort | Chengcheng Zeng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Emotion plays an important role in physical and mental health. Green space is an environment conducive to physical and mental recovery and influences human emotions through visual and auditory stimulation. Both the visual environment and sound environment of a green space are important factors affecting its quality. Most of the previous relevant studies have focused solely on the visual or sound environment of green spaces and its impacts. This study focused on the combination of vegetation density (VD) and integrated sound environment (ISE) based on neural emotional evaluation criteria. VD was used as the visual variable, with three levels: high (H), moderate (M) and low (L). ISE was used as the sound variable, with four levels: low-decibel natural and low-decibel artificial sounds (LL), low-decibel natural and high-decibel artificial sounds (LH), high-decibel natural and low-decibel artificial sounds (HL) and high-decibel natural and high-decibel artificial sounds (HH). These two variables were combined into 12 unique groups. A total of 360 volunteer college students were recruited and randomly assigned to the 12 groups (N = 30). All 12 groups underwent the same 5 min high-pressure learning task (pretest baseline), followed by a 5 min audio-visual recovery (posttest). Six indicators of neural emotion (engagement, excitement, focus, interest, relaxation and stress) were dynamically measured by an Emotiv EPOC X device during the pretest and posttest. Analysis of covariance was used to determine the main and coupled effects of the variables. (1) VD and ISE have significant effects on human neural emotions. In moderate- and high-VD spaces, artificial sound levels may have a positive effect on excitement. (2) A higher VD is more likely to result in excitatory neural emotion expression. (3) Low-VD and high-VD spaces have a higher degree of visual continuity. Both extremely low and extremely high VDs result in a higher expression of stressful emotions than observed for a moderate VD. (4) High-decibel artificial sounds are more likely to attract attention, possibly because artificial sounds are easier to recognize than natural sounds. However, when both the natural and artificial sounds are low, it is difficult to induce higher tones, and the lower the artificial sound decibel level, the easier it is to relax. Additionally, under the influence of an ISE, attention recovery and stress recovery may be negatively correlated. The results show that an appropriate combination of VD and ISE can improve the health benefits of a green space and thus the well-being of visitors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:32:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1ae8975dc00b4a5a934ea79e7c679a03 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:32:26Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-1ae8975dc00b4a5a934ea79e7c679a032023-11-22T18:18:46ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072021-10-011210138010.3390/f12101380Electroencephalography (EEG)-Based Neural Emotional Response to the Vegetation Density and Integrated Sound Environment in a Green SpaceChengcheng Zeng0Wei Lin1Nian Li2Ya Wen3Yanxin Wang4Wenyuan Jiang5Jialing Zhang6Haolin Zhong7Xin Chen8Wenhao Luo9Qibing Chen10College of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, ChinaCollege of Landscape Architecture, Zhejiang A & F University, Hangzhou 311300, ChinaCollege of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, ChinaCollege of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, ChinaCollege of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, ChinaCollege of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, ChinaCollege of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, ChinaCollege of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, ChinaCollege of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, ChinaCollege of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, ChinaCollege of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, ChinaEmotion plays an important role in physical and mental health. Green space is an environment conducive to physical and mental recovery and influences human emotions through visual and auditory stimulation. Both the visual environment and sound environment of a green space are important factors affecting its quality. Most of the previous relevant studies have focused solely on the visual or sound environment of green spaces and its impacts. This study focused on the combination of vegetation density (VD) and integrated sound environment (ISE) based on neural emotional evaluation criteria. VD was used as the visual variable, with three levels: high (H), moderate (M) and low (L). ISE was used as the sound variable, with four levels: low-decibel natural and low-decibel artificial sounds (LL), low-decibel natural and high-decibel artificial sounds (LH), high-decibel natural and low-decibel artificial sounds (HL) and high-decibel natural and high-decibel artificial sounds (HH). These two variables were combined into 12 unique groups. A total of 360 volunteer college students were recruited and randomly assigned to the 12 groups (N = 30). All 12 groups underwent the same 5 min high-pressure learning task (pretest baseline), followed by a 5 min audio-visual recovery (posttest). Six indicators of neural emotion (engagement, excitement, focus, interest, relaxation and stress) were dynamically measured by an Emotiv EPOC X device during the pretest and posttest. Analysis of covariance was used to determine the main and coupled effects of the variables. (1) VD and ISE have significant effects on human neural emotions. In moderate- and high-VD spaces, artificial sound levels may have a positive effect on excitement. (2) A higher VD is more likely to result in excitatory neural emotion expression. (3) Low-VD and high-VD spaces have a higher degree of visual continuity. Both extremely low and extremely high VDs result in a higher expression of stressful emotions than observed for a moderate VD. (4) High-decibel artificial sounds are more likely to attract attention, possibly because artificial sounds are easier to recognize than natural sounds. However, when both the natural and artificial sounds are low, it is difficult to induce higher tones, and the lower the artificial sound decibel level, the easier it is to relax. Additionally, under the influence of an ISE, attention recovery and stress recovery may be negatively correlated. The results show that an appropriate combination of VD and ISE can improve the health benefits of a green space and thus the well-being of visitors.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/10/1380green spacevegetation densityintegrated sound environmentEEGneural emotion |
| spellingShingle | Chengcheng Zeng Wei Lin Nian Li Ya Wen Yanxin Wang Wenyuan Jiang Jialing Zhang Haolin Zhong Xin Chen Wenhao Luo Qibing Chen Electroencephalography (EEG)-Based Neural Emotional Response to the Vegetation Density and Integrated Sound Environment in a Green Space Forests green space vegetation density integrated sound environment EEG neural emotion |
| title | Electroencephalography (EEG)-Based Neural Emotional Response to the Vegetation Density and Integrated Sound Environment in a Green Space |
| title_full | Electroencephalography (EEG)-Based Neural Emotional Response to the Vegetation Density and Integrated Sound Environment in a Green Space |
| title_fullStr | Electroencephalography (EEG)-Based Neural Emotional Response to the Vegetation Density and Integrated Sound Environment in a Green Space |
| title_full_unstemmed | Electroencephalography (EEG)-Based Neural Emotional Response to the Vegetation Density and Integrated Sound Environment in a Green Space |
| title_short | Electroencephalography (EEG)-Based Neural Emotional Response to the Vegetation Density and Integrated Sound Environment in a Green Space |
| title_sort | electroencephalography eeg based neural emotional response to the vegetation density and integrated sound environment in a green space |
| topic | green space vegetation density integrated sound environment EEG neural emotion |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/10/1380 |
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