
Environmental Psychology elective at Leiden University (2020-2021)
Lecture 3: Nature (taking a break)
People have been recommended to go to onature for its well-being effects since (at least) the 19th century
Epidemological research: understanding what factors determin a large population to get sick
De Vries et al., 2003. Natural Environments—Healthy Environments? An Exploratory Analysis of the Relationship between Greenspace and Health
- Representative sample of Dutch population (N = 17.000)
- Result: significant positive relationship between presence of green in neighbourhood and self reported health
Takano et al., 2002. Urban residential environments and senior citizens’ longevity in megacity areas: the importance of walkable green spaces
- Japanese longitudinal study, older inhabitants Tokio (N= 3144)
- Results: significant positive relationship between presence of ‘ walkable green’ and lower mortality within 5 years
Video demonstrating how green spaces improve well-being: https://vimeo.com/83228781
- Green spaces improve mental health short-term and long-term as well
Biophilia theory:
There is an innnate emotional affiliation of human beings to other living organisms. It likely evolved while hunter-gatherers were living in, with, and of nature. That is why natural landscapes are intrinsically rewarding and enjoyable.
Two theories about recovery effect of nature:
- Perception of nature causes reduction of negative feelings and psychophysiological recovery of stress
2. Attention restoration theory (Kaplan, 1995):
- Perception of nature causes recovery of attentional fatigue
Lederbogen, F. et al.,2011. City living and urban upbringing affect neural social stress processing in humans
- Growing world’s population now lives in cities
- Creating a healthy urban environment is important
- Cities negatively affect mental health
- Mood and anxiety disorders are more prevalent
- Incidence of schizophrenia is higher
What neural processes can explain this relation?
- Activation of amygdala (indicator of stress)
- Activation of perigenual anterior cingulate cortex (pACC; indicator of stress regulation)
Conclusion of study: People living in cities can not cope as well with social stress as people living more rural; especially with a childhood raised in urban areas
Bratman et al., 2015. Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation
- After a 90-minute walk participants of the nature walk, compared to the urban walk, reported less rumination, and also their brains showed less activity in pACC
Ulrich, R.,1984. View through a window may influence recovery.
- Archival study of 46 patients recovering from gallbladder surgery (records from 1972 to 1981)
- “Treatment”: assignment to room with wall view or nature view
- Patients matched on age, gender, smoking, obesity, hospitalization history, floor level, room color
- Findings:
Nature Wall
Number of days of hospitalization after surgery: 7.96 8.70
Minor complications (e.g. headaches, nausea): Less (Not Signif.) More
Nurses notes relating to patient’s condition: Fewer negative More
Replication study by Raanaas, Patil, and Hartig (2011)
- Patients (N=278) recovering from heart or lung operations for 4 weeks
- Blocked, partially blocked, panorama view
- Physical and mental health states measured
- Finding:A bedroom view to natural surroundings appears to have better supported improvement in self-reported physical and particularly mental health during a residential rehabilitation program
Collado. S, Staats, H., & Sorrel, M., 2016. Helping out on the land: Effects of children’s role in agriculture on reported psychological restoration
Research questions:
- Do children recover from daily experiences in nearby rural areas?
- Does it depend on involvement in agricultural work?
Findings:
- Effects of psycho-social characteristics on restoration
- Several effects of involvement in agriculture on potential mediators
Conclusion:
- Country side is a restorative environment for village children
- Work related experiences limit degree of restoration
- The experience of being away, physically and psychologically, mediates degree of reported restoration
- Farm children experience less sense of being away --> less restoration
Guéguen, N., & Stefan, J.,2016. “Green altruism”: Short immersion in natural green environments and helping behavior.
Effect of nature on social relationships:
- Decreases social isolation
- Leads to more social integration
- Exposure to plants and flowers
- Increases desire for community aspiration
- Leads to more social interaction
But does nature make people more pro-social??
Study: a confedarate drops a glove. Is there a difference in the amount of people who help when comparing those who have walked through a park vs those who didn't? Yes, there is! More helping behavior in those who went to the park before seeing the glove.
Conclusion
- Strong main effect:Nature makes people more pro-social
- Nature elicits positive mood
- Positive mood facilitates helping behavior
- Research shows full mediation of mood in the relation between nature and helping behavior
Van der Wal, A. J., Schade, H. M., Krabbendam, L., & Van Vugt, M., 2013. Do natural landscapes reduce future discounting in humans?
Participants were presented with two options: 1, receive 100 Euros now or 2, Receive 120 Euros in 90 days. The participants were either shown a picture of an urban environment or a natural environment.
Findings: Those who were exposed to the nature picture, were more likely to select option 2. When the study was replicated in the field (city vs nature), they found the same: nature condition more likely than urban condition to go for option 2.
- Nature seems to evoke a more future oriented mindset
- Higher future valuation could imply more long-term orientated strategies and behaviors
- Societal and environmental problems are mostly caused by short-term oriented strategies and behaviors
- Overpopulation
- Health problems (drug abuse, obesity)
- Resource exploitation
Join with a free account for more service, or become a member for full access to exclusives and extra support of WorldSupporter >>

Contributions: posts
Spotlight: topics
JoHo can really use your help! Check out the various student jobs here that match your studies, improve your competencies, strengthen your CV and contribute to a more tolerant world
Goede voorbeelden! Lydwine contributed on 04-02-2021 09:27
Ik zie dat je bij de theorie hele interessante voorbeelden geeft. Hierdoor gaat het echt leven voor me. Ik hoop dat deze uitgangspunten ook ingezet worden bij het herstel van coronapatienten. Heb jij een idee in hoeverre natuur in de praktijk ook al echt wordt 'toegepast' bij het herstel van patienten? Gebeurt dit al veel?
Add new contribution