Analysis of the Psychological Effects of Exposure to Different Types of Waterscape Facilities for Urban Green Space Planning

To create urban landscapes that take human emotion into consideration, the present study verified the psychological effects of artificial waterscape facilities on users, as these facilities significantly impact their psychological comfort. Data was collected using the SD scales and POMS of 60 male and 60 female participants after they watched a video of four waterscape facilities. Participants deemed the video clip of a fountain waterscape to be artificial and linked it with changeable images that increased their vigor. The video clip of waterfall stimulated various impressions (e.g., vital, liked, active, etc.) and changed participant' mood states by increasing their vigor and decreasing fatigue. The video clip of the pond yielded familiar impressions, produced less free images, and decreased tension among participants. Finally, the video clip of the stream stimulated quiet and comfortable images as well as reduced negative feelings of anger, confusion, and depression among participants. Furthermore, males experienced more positive effects than females, regardless of the type of waterscape facility. The study findings indicate that the four different waterscape facilities influenced participants' mood states. Additionally, the psychological effects differed by gender. The data suggest that landscape planners need to carefully consider their choice of waterscape facility when designing green spaces to ensure that the space is psychologically comforting to users.