Changes in Psychophysiological Functions of Adults Examined through Vibraimage Before and After Viewing Ornamental Flowering Plants

Background and objective: The purpose of this study was to quantitatively examine the effects of viewing plants as a medium of horticultural therapy on the psychophysiological functions of adults through vibraimage measurement.Methods: In this study, psychophysiological functions were measured using Vibraimage 8 PRO (ELYSIS Co., Ltd.). Ten variables (aggression, stress, tension, suspicion, balance, charm, energy, self-regulation, inhibition, and neuroticism) and emotional changes (positive, negative, physiological) were measured as indicators to understand the state of psychophysiological functions. The collected data of 25 participants were analyzed using paired samples t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test.Results: First, the mean value of aggression decreased by 2.04 points from 49.97±8.38 before the experiment to 47.93 ± 7.64 after the experiment, and there was a statistically significant difference (t = 2.647, p = .014). Second, the mean value of energy decreased by 1.13 points from 30.22±7.85 before the experiment to 2 9.09±8.12 after the experiment, and there was a statistically significant difference (t = 2.604, p = .016). Third, the mean value of inhibition decreased by 1.86 points from 31.40±23.50 before the experiment to 29.54±22.07 after the experiment, and there was a statistically significant difference (t = 3.011, p = .006). Fourth, stress, tension, suspicion, balance, charm, self-regulation, neuroticism and positive, negative and physiological emotions did not show statistically significant results.Conclusion: It can be said that viewing plants for two minutes reduces aggression, prevents sensitive reactions to external stimuli, lowers energy to create a stable state, and reduces inhibition to feel more comfortable and express emotions freely. This study is significant in that it confirms the utility of plants as a medium for horticultural activities. In addition, the findings will provide foundational data for planning horticultural therapy programs aimed at enhancing psychological functions and for promoting understanding of plant and horticultural therapy.