An interventional study of Smartphone-Mediated Musical Trail in a Botanical Garden in Emotion, Nature Connectedness and User Experience of Mobile Application, sponsored by Centre integre universitaire de sante et de services sociaux du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal. Completed at 1 site in Canada. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-06.
Sponsored by Centre integre universitaire de sante et de services sociaux du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other
This study will examine how people feel after using the Musical Trail of the Ruisseau fleuri at the Montreal Botanical Garden and how they experience the mobile application. The researchers want to find out whether the experience is followed by immediate changes in emotions and feelings of connection with nature, and whether the application is easy and enjoyable to use.
The Musical Trail combines a walk through the garden with music created from electrical signals previously recorded from plants. These signals were converted into musical material and used to compose the music. Participants access the application on their own smartphones by scanning a QR code. As they explore the trail and identify or select plants, the music changes. Short texts also provide information about selected plants.
The main study will include 84 adults, with a target of 28 participants in each of three age groups: 18-34 years, 35-59 years, and 60 years or older. Participants must understand spoken and written French and be able to walk for approximately 20 minutes without sitting. An additional exploratory group of Montreal Botanical Garden employees is also planned.
Before their visit, participants will provide information about their background, their contact with nature, their concerns about environmental change, and feelings of distress related to changes in familiar environments. At the garden, they will receive instructions and use the application independently during an approximately 20-minute walk. A research team member will observe how they use it and remain available for technical assistance.
Immediately before and after the walk, participants will complete short questionnaires about how pleasant or unpleasant they feel, how calm or activated they feel, specific positive and negative emotions, and their sense of connection with nature. After the experience, they will also answer questions about the application, including its ease of use, musical and artistic content, difficulties encountered, and suggestions for improvement.
The researchers will compare questionnaire responses before and after the experience and explore differences between age groups. They will also examine whether participants' characteristics and existing environmental concerns are associated with their emotional responses. Observations and written feedback will help identify barriers to using the application and guide improvements to a future version.
All participants will receive the same Musical Trail experience. There is no control group. The study will therefore describe changes associated with the experience, without establishing whether the application itself caused those changes.
Centre integre universitaire de sante et de services sociaux du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal is the lead sponsor of 13 studies on the registry; 2 are open to participants now.
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Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants complete an approximately 20-minute walk through the Jardin du Ruisseau fleuri at the Montreal Botanical Garden while using a mobile application on their own smartphones. The application combines music composed from previously recorded plant electrical signals with plant selection and short interpretive texts. Emotional state and nature connectedness are assessed immediately before and after the experience. Application use is observed, and participants provide feedback after the walk.
Other: Smartphone-Mediated Musical Trail in a Botanical Garden
A single approximately 20-minute artistic experience in the Jardin du Ruisseau fleuri at the Montreal Botanical Garden. Participants walk independently while using a mobile application on their own smartphones. The application presents music composed from previously recorded plant electrophysiological signals. Identifying or selecting plants progressively changes the musical composition, and short interpretive texts accompany selected species. A researcher provides initial instructions and remains available for technical assistance.
Change in Affect Grid Valence Score
Emotional valence is assessed using the horizontal coordinate of the Affect Grid, ranging from 1 (unpleasant) to 9 (pleasant). Change is calculated as the post-intervention score minus the pre-intervention score. Positive changes indicate greater pleasantness.
Time frame: Immediately before and immediately after the approximately 20-minute Musical Trail experience.
Change in Affect Grid Arousal Score
Subjective arousal is assessed using the vertical coordinate of the Affect Grid, ranging from 1 (low arousal) to 9 (high arousal). Change is calculated as the post-intervention score minus the pre-intervention score. Negative changes indicate lower subjective activation.
Time frame: Immediately before and immediately after the approximately 20-minute Musical Trail experience.
Change in Nature Connection Index Score
Nature connectedness is assessed using the six-item Nature Connection Index. Responses are recorded on seven-point agreement scales and coded so that higher values indicate stronger connectedness. Under the study protocol, the mean item score is transformed to a 0-100 index using \[(mean score - 1)/6\] × 100. Higher scores indicate greater nature connectedness. Change is calculated as the post-intervention score minus the pre-intervention score.
Time frame: Immediately before and immediately after the approximately 20-minute Musical Trail experience.
Change in Global Affective Polarity
Global Affective Polarity (GAP) is a study-developed exploratory composite based on six items rated from 0 to 10. GAP-P is the mean of pleasantness, joy and appeasement; GAP-N is the mean of unpleasantness, sadness and melancholy. Global GAP equals GAP-P minus GAP-N and ranges from -10 to +10. Higher scores indicate predominance of positive affective components. Component scores each range from 0 to 10. Changes in the global and component scores are calculated as post-intervention minus pre-intervention values.
Time frame: Immediately before and immediately after the approximately 20-minute Musical Trail experience.
Plan to share: Undecided
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Centre integre universitaire de sante et de services sociaux du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal