News - Looking at plants reduces negative emotions, psychologists say

British psychologists have found that a virtual walk in the woods reduces the level of negative emotions in stressed people. The effect was stronger for those who noticed biodiversity. Researchers conducted an online survey with the participation of 372 people. First, they were annoyed by turning on the fire alarm, and then they were offered to watch a panoramic video from a forest. The participants' level of positive emotion decreased after hearing the fire alarm, and it increased after watching the forest video, but it was still lower than at the beginning of the experiment. The increase in biodiversity in commercials has had little effect on people's emotions. However, negative emotions were lessened among those who could notice and distinguish more plants. Watching the video also produced more positive emotions in those who reported a strong connection with nature. For those who did not experience it, their positive emotion scores decreased throughout the experiment.