The green effect : the influence of indoor plants on economic decision making

• Main Authors: Tan, Melissa Xin Ying, Leong, Ting, Pau, Olivia Li Min
• Other Authors: He Tai-Sen
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2021
• Subjects: Social sciences::Economic theory; Social sciences::Economic development
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/148178
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This research explores the potential benefits of the presence of a plant in an indoor setting on an individual's decision making through a random laboratory experiment. More specifically, our paper presents various findings on the effect of greenery on an individual’s decision-making and cognitive performance, thus demonstrating the importance of natural elements in the physical environment. Several tasks in the area of decision-making and cognitive abilities were conducted using the Qualtrics platform on 81 undergraduates who were randomly assigned under one of the two conditions: (i) an office setting with a desk plant, or (ii) an office setting with a stationary pot to act as a control for the desk plant. Our result provides convergent evidence that exposure to greenery resulted in the subjects being more patient when making their decisions.