Conceptual replication study and meta-analysis suggest simulated nature does not reliably restore pure executive attention measured by the attention network task

Johnson, Jennifer A.; Hansen, Brooke E.; Funk, Emily L.; Elezovic, Francesca L.; Finley, John-Christopher

doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101709

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Many previous real-world studies involving nature walks have a comparable experimental design as our study but had smaller sample sizes, which could potentially lead to overestimations of effect sizes ( Button et al, 2013 ) and subsequently affect replicability ( Open Science Collaboration, 2015 ). This study supports growing non-replications of behavioral findings in the nature and attention literature (i.e., see Johnson et al, 2021 ; Neilson et al, 2021 ). However, behavioral measures are not the sole indicator of attention restoration.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Measuring affect and complex working memory in natural and urban environments

et al. 2023

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IntroductionResearch suggests that spending time in natural environments is associated with cognitive and affective benefits, while increased use of technology and time spent in urban environments are associated with depletion of cognitive resources and an increasing prevalence of mental illness. Attention Restoration Theory suggests that exposure to natural environments can restore depleted attentional resources and thereby improve cognitive functioning and mood. Specifically, recent meta-analyses have revealed that the most improved cognitive abilities after nature exposure include selective attention, working memory, and cognitive flexibility.MethodsWhile existing studies examined these cognitive abilities, few have examined the Operation Span (OSPAN), a complex measure of working memory capacity. Therefore, the current study (N = 100) compared performance on the OSPAN and self-reported mood using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule before and after a 30-min walk in a natural or urban environment.ResultsResults from the study showed that both groups exhibited an increase in positive affect and a decrease in negative affect, suggesting that going outside for a walk can boost mood regardless of environment type. Inconsistent with past work, there were no significant changes in OSPAN scores before and after the walk for either environment type.DiscussionFuture studies should analyze how the length of time spent in the environment, certain characteristics of the environment, and individual differences in connectedness to nature may impact attention restoration to gain insight on nature’s ability to improve our affect and cognition.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Measuring affect and complex working memory in natural and urban environments

et al. 2023

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“…Previous studies have shown mixed results: In Ohly et al's [49] meta-analysis, only three of the ten natural exposure studies found improvements in attentional function. Berman et al [30] conducted similar experiments done by the Johnson et al [50] who found watching virtual green nature resulted in attention improvement, but gave inconsistent results. Menzel et al [51] concluded that whether the attention recovery effect can be evoked depended on the quality of the simulated natural conditions.…”

Section: Cognitive Testsmentioning

confidence: 90%

Explore the Benefits of Natural Air: New Insights from Field and Chamber Tests on Cognitive Performance

et al. 2022

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Exposure to natural environments has a range of health benefits, including enhancing psychological restoration and cognitive development. While there are various explanations on the causes for the benefits of the natural exposure, such as less air pollution and noise, more physical activity, stronger social interactions, or even more diverse microbial community, etc., this study has zeroed in on the air quality of the natural environment. In addition to low-level pollution, what makes the natural air superior remains unclear. To this end, we conducted a series of psychological evaluation and cognitive tests on a couple of subjects in a national forest park in southwest China. Based on the results, we built an artificial chamber where selected air parameters can be independently manipulated and carried out similar tests in the chamber. We came to the following conclusion. (1) Exposure to real natural environment demonstrated tangible benefits for cognitive performances and mental states and the benefits can be obtained to some extent in the artificial environment by creating air qualities similar to the air in the natural environment. (2) Scents in natural environments may be one of the key beneficial factors. (3) Adopting proper cognitive test is critical for distinguishing the differences made by the natural exposure. Working memory showed marked responses to the natural exposure.

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“…Kuo, 2015), as well as a stronger nature connection (e.g., Mayer et al, 2009). Intriguingly, merely watching images of nature compared to urban scenes can result in better cognitive performance and reduced stress, which are considered signs of restoration (Berman et al, 2008;Berto, 2005;Gamble et al, 2014;Hartig et al, 1996;van den Berg et al, 2015; but see also Johnson et al, 2021). However, effects on affect are sometimes smaller for virtual than for real nature experiences (Browning et al, 2020;McMahan & Estes, 2015;Reese et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%