Physiological and psychological responses and cognitive performance with a window view

Abstract

A window view, including nature, decreases stress and improves well-being. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a window view on physiological and psychological responses and cognitive performance. Twenty-six participants were exposed to two viewing conditions (closed blinds and window view) in real and virtual environments. Skin temperature, skin conductance, heart-rate variability, and electroencephalography were examined. Cognitive tests were conducted for the participants after an environmental exposure for 5 min. During the exposure and tests, participants with a window view recorded higher skin temperature, lower skin conductance, and lower heart rate than those with closed blinds by 0.1 °C, 0.12 μS, and 0.98 bpm, respectively. Physiological responses indicated that participants with a window view were less stressed than those with closed blinds. Short-term working memory with a window view, compared with closed blinds, improved significantly (by 6%) in the real environment; however, the increase was not significant in the virtual environment. Short-term working memory was affected by self-reported concentration and relaxed mood based on visual comfort. Moreover, the physiological responses in the virtual environment were similar to those in the real environment. This result indicates that a window view improves stressful conditions in both real and virtual environments.