Viewing a Japanese garden and stress relief

Abstract

It has been suggested that viewing nature can elicit positive feelings, reduce stressful thoughts and fear, and aid recovery from anxiety and stress. Previous studies have found that Japanese-style gardens can reduce perceived stress and lower heart rate. A recent study aimed to clarify the role of eye movements in alleviating physiological and psychological stress by comparing the effects of viewing a Japanese garden and a university campus garden containing similar visual elements. The Japanese garden was found to be more effective at reducing pulse rate and improving mood. In neither garden did pulse rate rise or fall based on the particular objects participants were viewing. Participants' gazes moved more quickly and across a broader range of the visual field in the Japanese garden than in the university garden. In the Japanese garden, gaze points were distributed more widely, extending to the edges of the visual field — particularly horizontally — and participants' gazes shifted more frequently from side to side. In conclusion, the stress-relieving effect was primarily the result of design features that prompted viewers to make frequent, rapid horizontal eye movements.