Outside In: Influences of Indoor Plants on Psychological Well-Being and Memory Task Performance in a Workplace Setting

This research presents an experimental study that investigated relationships between indoor plants, psychological response, and performance of office workers. The results of the study indicate marginal increase in memory task performance with the presence of plants, but improvements in psychological well-being were not found. Study results suggest that the presence of windows, natural light, and high ratings of perceived psychological health may have confounded the effects of plant presence. The findings suggest that plants in the workplace may not be noticed by employees due to complexities of daily tasks.

keywords: nature; indoor plants; psychological health; task performance