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 amedium 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.). Tenvariables (aggression, stress, tension, suspicion, balance, charm, energy, self-regulation, inhibition, and neuroticism) andemotional changes (positive, negative, physiological) were measured as indicators to understand the state of psychophysiologicalfunctions. 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 meanvalue 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 1.86points from 31.40±23.50 before the experiment to 29.54±22.07 after the experiment, and there was a statisticallysignificant difference (t = 3.011, p = .006). Fourth, stress, tension, suspicion, balance, charm, self-regulation, neuroticismand 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 externalstimuli, 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 findingswill provide foundational data for planning horticultural therapy programs aimed at enhancing psychological functions andfor promoting understanding of plant and horticultural therapy.