Impacts of nature and built acoustic-visual environments on human’s multidimensional mood states: A cross-continent experiment

Abstract

New and complex acoustic-visual environments are emerging in contemporary highdensity cities. The independent and interactive effects of acoustic and visual environments on human’s mood states have been rarely investigated in that context. This study examined the extent to which 12 pairs of four acoustic environments and three visual environments influence multiple-dimensional mood states, including emotion, attention, and stress. Sixty-eight local participants from Illinois, USA, and 69 nonlocal participants from Hong Kong SAR, China, were randomly assigned to watch and listen to one of 12 videos. The participants’ mood states were measured before and after the exposure. Two-way ANOVA analysis controlling for baseline mood and gender, and pairwise comparisons yield four major findings after. First, the acoustic and visual environments have significant independent and interactive effects on mood states. Second, the acoustic environments have stronger effects on mood states than the visual environments. Third, in general, effects of acoustic-visual environments are more positive and stronger for local participants than for nonlocal participants. Fourth, evidence suggests a universal restorative effect that grows from exposure to natural acoustic-visual environments. This study provides new and specific evidence to support planning and design of healthy high-density cities.