UNLABELLED: BACKGROUND/STUDY CONTEXT: Attention Restoration Theory (Kaplan, 1995, Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15, 169-182) suggests that exposure to nature improves attention. Berman, Jonides, and Kaplan (2008, Psychological Science, 19, 1207-1212) showed that simply viewing nature pictures improves executive attention in young adults. The present study is the first to investigate this Nature Effect in older adults. The authors investigated whether executive attention could be improved in healthy older adults following brief exposure to nature pictures. METHODS: Thirty healthy older adults (64-79 years old) and 26 young university students (18-25 years old) participated. They completed the Attention Network Test before and after 6 min of viewing either nature or urban pictures, with random assignment into a picture type. Attention immediately before (most fatigued) and after (most restored) picture viewing was measured, and change in attention was compared between age groups and picture types. RESULTS: Results showed that viewing nature, but not urban, pictures significantly improved executive attention in both older and young adults as measured by the Attention Network Test, with similar effects seen in the two age groups. Alerting and orienting attention scores were not affected by picture viewing. CONCLUSION: This was the first study to show that viewing nature pictures improves attention in older adults, and to show that it is executive attention, specifically, that is improved. Among a growing number of interventions, nature exposure offers a quick, inexpensive, and enjoyable means to provide a temporary boost in executive attention.
UNLABELLED: BACKGROUND/STUDY CONTEXT: Attention Restoration Theory (Kaplan, 1995, Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15, 169-182) suggests that exposure to nature improves attention. Berman, Jonides, and Kaplan (2008, Psychological Science, 19, 1207-1212) showed that simply viewing nature pictures improves executive attention in young adults. The present study is the first to investigate this Nature Effect in older adults. The authors investigated whether executive attention could be improved in healthy older adults following brief exposure to nature pictures. METHODS: Thirty healthy older adults (64-79 years old) and 26 young university students (18-25 years old) participated. They completed the Attention Network Test before and after 6 min of viewing either nature or urban pictures, with random assignment into a picture type. Attention immediately before (most fatigued) and after (most restored) picture viewing was measured, and change in attention was compared between age groups and picture types. RESULTS: Results showed that viewing nature, but not urban, pictures significantly improved executive attention in both older and young adults as measured by the Attention Network Test, with similar effects seen in the two age groups. Alerting and orienting attention scores were not affected by picture viewing. CONCLUSION: This was the first study to show that viewing nature pictures improves attention in older adults, and to show that it is executive attention, specifically, that is improved. Among a growing number of interventions, nature exposure offers a quick, inexpensive, and enjoyable means to provide a temporary boost in executive attention.
Authors: V F Gladwell; D K Brown; J L Barton; M P Tarvainen; P Kuoppa; J Pretty; J M Suddaby; G R H Sandercock Journal: Eur J Appl Physiol Date: 2012-01-21 Impact factor: 3.078
Authors: Stephan M Gerber; Marie-Madlen Jeitziner; Patric Wyss; Alvin Chesham; Prabitha Urwyler; René M Müri; Stephan M Jakob; Tobias Nef Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2017-10-16 Impact factor: 4.379
Authors: Chih-Ching Liu; Chung-Yi Li; Shiann-Far Kung; Hsien-Wen Kuo; Nuan-Ching Huang; Yu Sun; Susan C Hu Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2019-08-08 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Julia Eggert; Cheryl J Dye; Ellen Vincent; Veronica Parker; Shaundra B Daily; Hiep Pham; Alison Turner Watson; Hollie Summey; Tania Roy Journal: SAGE Open Med Date: 2015-08-31