Effects of the Visual Character of Transitional Spaces on Human Stress Recovery in a Virtual Reality Environment

Zhixian Li, Xiaoran Huang () and Marcus White
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Zhixian Li: College of Environmental Design, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
Xiaoran Huang: School of Architecture and Art, North China University of Technology, Beijing 100144, China
Marcus White: Centre for Design Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 20, 1-16

Abstract: As people’s levels of stress increase with the complexity of contemporary urban life, the stress healing agenda in built environments has become more critical than ever. Previous research has demonstrated that linear and nonlinear shapes in the environment have an impact on human stress recovery. However, to date, most studies have focused on indoor and outdoor spaces, while research on transitional spaces is still limited. Transitional spaces connect the interior with the exterior and are ubiquitous in the city, such as plazas, open cafes, and urban corridors. We hypothesize that curved and linear environments affect human stress recovery differently in transitional spaces. To test this hypothesis, virtual reality (VR) technology and experiments were conducted with 40 participants. At the end of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), participants were randomly assigned to four VR environments to test which environment is more effective in stress recovery for humans. Participants’ physiological data, including heart rate and blood pressure, were measured by bio-monitoring sensors. The psychological data were tested by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). In general, the resulting data indicate that the curved environment is more effective than the linear environment for the recovery of human stress in transitional spaces.

Keywords: linear environment; curved environment; human stress recovery; transitional space; virtual reality (VR) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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