Virtual Nature, Real Consequences: How Immersive Virtual Work Environments Shape Pro-Environmental Behavior, Performance, and Employee Well-Being
通过三个随机对照实验，研究了虚拟工作环境中不同亲自然设计对员工福祉、生产力和亲环境决策的影响，发现负面环境（如森林火灾）能促进环保资源分配，但会损害员工情绪和注意力。
This study examines how immersive virtual work environments affect employees' well-being, productivity, and pro-environmental decision-making. Using three randomized controlled experiments, we tested how different biophilic designs—incorporating nature’s patterns and processes into architectural design—influence workplace outcomes in virtual reality. Our findings challenge conventional wisdom. Positive biophilic environments such as pristine forests and thriving wildlife had no meaningful impact on employees, contradicting established theories about nature's restorative benefits. Surprisingly, negative environments—particularly virtual offices surrounded by forest fires—affected resource allocation toward environmental causes. However, these benefits came at a cost: employees experienced negative affect, shame, reduced attention, and higher task load. We also discovered that the degree of immersion matters less than expected. Moderate exposure to virtual environments was as effective as full immersion for changing behavior. Additionally, simple corporate communications such as environmental posters placed in virtual spaces achieved similar pro-environmental outcomes without the negative psychological effects. These results reveal virtual biophilic design as a