The research and study leading to these revelations was by a team led by Professor Jeannette Haviland-Jones, PhD, professor of psychology, at Rutgers in 2001. The Society of American Florists worked with the Rutgers study group to bring its flowers expertise into the study. The participants in the six-month study consisted of ten (10) men and ninety-four (94) women.
Study Methods Adopted
This article describes the process of flower research on seniors, the methods adopted and applied, and how and how they came to their conclusions.Four study groups of 104 seniors (participants in the research) from different ethnic groups, backgrounds, and environments were constituted. Their ages ranged from 55 to 93 years. There were two groups - some received flowers while some did not. To avoid distorted or biased results, none of the participants knew the purpose of the study.
Each participant kept a personal log to record their daily social contacts, recent social outings, and other events. The journals had data on daily and weekly contacts with friends, family, doctors, neighbours, household helpers, religious friends, and churches.
The interviews followed the following process:
- 1st interview - Data collating based on health status, lifestyle, social support, moods and demographic information.
- 2nd interview - Testing and measuring changes in moods, behaviours, feelings and general health conditions of each senior citizen.
1. Early Group
The early group received a flower bouquet once, immediately after an initial baseline interview. They had the flowers in time for a second interview.2. Late Group
The late group received their flower arrangement once and before the last interview. These participants had their flowers in time for the third interview.3. All-Flowers Group
The all-flowers group received flowers two times, once before the second interview and another before the third.4. No-Flowers Group
This group received no flowers throughout the six-month study. They received a bouquet each at the end of the study.After three interview sessions that lasted six months, the seniors were then tested daily on their memories, what they remember about the flowers, daily social contacts, and recent social events. The results were then compared with the daily logs they had compiled over the six months.
Impressive Results
Scores were given based on how specific, accurate, and detailed their answers were.- The number of times the seniors in each group received flowers.
- At what point in the research did they receive flowers.
- Changes in behaviour, their moods, and feelings.
Quoting Dr. Haviland-Jones, head of the study team, "Common sense tells us that flowers make us happy. Now, science shows that. Not only do flowers make us happier, but they also have strong positive effects on our emotional well-being". She concluded thus, "Happier people live longer, healthier lives and are more open to change. Our research shows that a small dose of nature, like flowers, can do a world of wonder for our well-being as we age".
The Overlooked Benefits of Fresh Flowers
The Rutgers senior citizens and flowers study gives us a clearer picture of our floral companions. It shows us how flowers and their benefits go unnoticed (probably) because they are so natural and beautiful, we feel that's all creation meant them to be.Our pets of the plant world are to be admired and nurtured for therapeutic and emotional satisfaction. The benefits have, for the most part, been ignored in literature and talk about people and plants.
What we now know is that perhaps people might be the reason that flowers exist. Another wonder of creation meant for our use, and most especially for the happiness and well-being of our senior citizens.
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