The Use of Plants to Promote Warmth and Caring in a Business Environment.

To analyze the effects of nonverbal environment factors--specifically of plants--on the perceived attitudes of a visitor to a business, a survey examined the use of plants to project warmth and caring on the part of the office occupant. Subjects, 170 students in a basic communication course, completed a survey regarding feelings and opinions generated by horticultural products. Results indicated that many people attach meaning to the use of horticultural products, resulting in a positive effect on the perceived attitudes that are projected by the use of live, healthy horticultural products in a business. (Twenty references are attached.) (SR)