![]() Berman and colleagues found that study participants who listened to nature sounds like crickets chirping and waves crashing performed better on demanding cognitive tests than those who listened to urban sounds like traffic and the clatter of a busy café (Van Hedger, S.C., et. 1, 2015).Įven the sounds of nature may be recuperative. Students who looked out at a flowering green roof for 40 seconds midway through the task made significantly fewer mistakes than students who paused for 40 seconds to gaze at a concrete rooftop (Lee, K.E., et al., Journal of Environmental Psychology, Vol. In one example, Australian researchers asked students to engage in a dull, attention-draining task in which they pressed a computer key when certain numbers flashed on a screen. “And because of the societal problems we’re dealing with in terms of stress, both of these theories have gotten a lot of attention from researchers.”Įxperimental findings show how impressive nature’s healing powers can be-just a few moments of green can perk up a tired brain. “Stress reduction and attention restoration are related,” Nisbet points out. ![]() The truth may be a combination of factors. A third idea, attention restoration theory, holds that nature replenishes one’s cognitive resources, restoring the ability to concentrate and pay attention. The stress reduction hypothesis posits that spending time in nature triggers a physiological response that lowers stress levels. The biophilia hypothesis argues that since our ancestors evolved in wild settings and relied on the environment for survival, we have an innate drive to connect with nature. Researchers have proposed a number of ideas to explain such findings, as Nisbet and colleagues described in a review of the benefits of connection with nature (Capaldi, C.A., et al., International Journal of Wellbeing, Vol. ![]() And experiments have found that being exposed to natural environments improves working memory, cognitive flexibility and attentional control, while exposure to urban environments is linked to attention deficits ( Current Directions in Psychological Science, Vol. Adults assigned to public housing units in neighborhoods with more green space showed better attentional functioning than those assigned to units with less access to natural environments. They reported, for instance, that green spaces near schools promote cognitive development in children and green views near children’s homes promote self-control behaviors. Both correlational and experimental research have shown that interacting with nature has cognitive benefits-a topic University of Chicago psychologist Marc Berman, PhD, and his student Kathryn Schertz explored in a 2019 review. Spending time in nature can act as a balm for our busy brains. And the sense of connection you have with the natural world seems to contribute to happiness even when you’re not physically immersed in nature.” Cognitive benefits “You can boost your mood just by walking in nature, even in urban nature. “There is mounting evidence, from dozens and dozens of researchers, that nature has benefits for both physical and psychological human wellbeing,” says Lisa Nisbet, PhD, a psychologist at Trent University in Ontario, Canada, who studies connectedness to nature. In the process, scientists are charting a course for policymakers and the public to better tap into the healing powers of Mother Nature. But nature comes in all shapes and sizes, and psychological research is still fine-tuning our understanding of its potential benefits. Most research so far has focused on green spaces such as parks and forests, and researchers are now also beginning to study the benefits of blue spaces, places with river and ocean views. Our increasing reliance on technology, combined with a global trend toward urban living, means many of us are spending ever less time outdoors-even as scientists compile evidence of the value of getting out into the natural world.įrom a stroll through a city park to a day spent hiking in the wilderness, exposure to nature has been linked to a host of benefits, including improved attention, lower stress, better mood, reduced risk of psychiatric disorders and even upticks in empathy and cooperation. Be honest: How much time do you spend staring at a screen each day? For most Americans, that number clocks in at more than 10 hours, according to a 2016 Nielsen Total Audience Report.
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