The Effect of Room Interiors with Different Wood Quantities on Task Efficiency during Two-digit Addition and Subtraction

The effect of visual stimulation from room interiors with different wood quantities on task efficiency during two-digit addition and subtraction was investigated. Four actual-size model rooms of interiors constructed with different quantities of sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) wood were used for this experiment. Subjects were twelve healthy males and females comprised of university students and other adults. After resting for five minutes in the test rooms, the calculation tasks were performed for sixteen minutes. Changes in psychological evaluations and physiological response were measured before and after each task. Concerning room interior images, the "comfort" and "atmosphere" images were significantly different among the four rooms. The rating of a "comfortable" feeling before the task was significantly different among the four rooms. However, the "comfortable" feeling after the task was evaluated as "uncomfortable" in all rooms, and there was no significant difference among the four rooms. Salivary alpha-amylase showed significant differences among the time points, but there was no significant difference among the four rooms. The number of answers and percentage of incorrect answers as an index of task efficiency were not significantly different among the four rooms. This study suggested that task efficiency during two-digit addition and subtraction was not affected by the differences in "comfort" and "atmosphere" images or the "comfortable" feeling before the task in each room.