The effects of presence and influence in nature images in a simulated hospital patient room.

Background:Nature images are frequently used for therapeutic purposes in hospital settings. Nature images may distract people from pain and promote psychological and physiological well-being, yet limited research is available to guide the selection process of nature images.Objective:The hypothesis is that higher degrees of presence and/or influence in the still photograph make it more effective at holding the viewer's attention, which therefore may distract the viewer from pain, and therefore be considered therapeutic. Research questions include: (1) Is there a significant difference in the level of perceived presence among the selected images? (2) Is there a significant difference in the level of perceived influence among the selected images? (3) Is there a correlation between levels of presence and levels of influence?Methods:109 college students were randomly assigned to one of four different image categories defined by Appleton's prospect refuge theory of landscape preference. Categories included pros...