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. 2021 Feb 23:12:607876.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.607876. eCollection 2021.

Effect of Fragrant Primula Flowers on Physiology and Psychology in Female College Students: An Empirical Study

Songlin Jiang  1 , Li Deng  1 , Hao Luo  1 , Xi Li  1 , Baimeng Guo  1 , Mingyan Jiang  1 , Yin Jia  1 , Jun Ma  1 , Lingxia Sun  1 , Zhuo Huang  1
Affiliations

Effect of Fragrant Primula Flowers on Physiology and Psychology in Female College Students: An Empirical Study

Songlin Jiang et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Indoor plants can positively impact physical and mental health in daily life. However, the benefits of viewing indoor plants may be enhanced if the plants emit a fragrant aroma. In this crossover-design study, we measured the physiological and psychological effects of fragrant and non-fragrant Primula plants on 50 female college students, and explored whether aroma stimulation had additive benefits for this group. Non-fragrant Primula malacoides Franch was used as a control stimulus, and Primula forbesii Franch, which has a floral fragrance, was used as an experimental stimulus. We measured blood pressure, pulse rate, and electroencephalogram (EEG) to evaluate physiological responses, and used a mood state profile and the semantic differential (SD) method to evaluate psychological responses. We found that mean blood pressure and pulse rate decreased significantly after the experiment in both conditions. EEGs showed that the mean values of high alpha waves, high beta waves, and relaxation scores were significantly higher in the experimental vs. control condition. The average scores on each subscale of the psychological questionnaire improved after the experiment in both conditions, and the vitality (V) subscale and total emotional state scores were significantly better in the experimental vs. control condition. The results of the SD method showed that the sense of relaxation and comfort were significantly higher in the experimental vs. control condition. Compared with the non-fragrant Primula, the fragrant Primula induced relatively better physiological and psychological effects.

Keywords: Primula; blood pressure; electroencephalogram; fragrance stimulation; psychological questionnaire; pulse rate.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Diagram of the physical set up in relation to the participant.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and pulse rate measurements before and after the experiment in the control condition and experimental condition (n = 50; mean ± SD; *p < 0.05; verified by a paired t-test).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Change in high alpha wave (power units) value in each 1-min epoch in the control and experimental conditions (n = 50; mean ± SD; *p < 0.05; verified by repeated ANOVA and multivariate variance statistical test).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Change in high beta wave (power units) value in each 1-min epoch in the control and experimental conditions (n = 50; mean ± SD; *p < 0.05; verified by repeated ANOVA and multivariate variance statistical test).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Comparison of mean attention and relaxation scores between the control and experimental conditions (n = 50; mean ± SD; *p < 0.05; verified by one way ANOVA).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Profile of mood states (POMS) scores before and after the control condition and the experimental condition (n = 50; mean ± SD; *p < 0.05; verified by a paired t-test).
Figure 7
Figure 7
Comparisons between the control and experimental conditions, conducted using the semantic differential (SD) method (n = 50; mean ± SD; *p < 0.05; verified by one-way ANOVA).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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