Effects of Viewing Seasonal Natural Images on Mental and Physical Well-Being

In this study, we evaluated changes in mental and physical states before and after viewing seasonal images that symbolized the four seasons of the temperate climate found in Honshu, Japan. The temperature and humidity at the beginning of the experiment were controlled, and a sense of the seasons was evoked through visual images. Biometric information was monitored through finger volume, pulse wave, skin conductance, gazing time, and pupil diameter. Questionnaires were administered for mood and image evaluation before and after the experiment. The results suggest that the effect of decreasing the arousal level increases when the difference between the outdoor ambient temperature and image temperature is large, and the degree of preference is high. In the experiments conducted during the warm season, winter images suggested that the arousal level decreases, and the cold weather experiment suggested that spring, summer, and fall images may have the effect of decreasing the arousal level. The summer images produced a relaxing effect, with no significant difference in pupil diameter reflecting the low preference for summer images and a low arousal reduction effect. This study suggests that visual seasonality may contribute to stress reduction and can be applied to stress management and mental health improvement.