Nature restorative experiences and wellbeing 2016 Kalevi Korpela

Nature, restorative experiences and well-being 2016 Kalevi Korpela Professor of Psychology School of Social Sciences & Humanities, University of Tampere

• Environmental psychology is a field of study that examines the interrelationship between environments and human affect, cognition and behavior (Bechtel & Churchman 2002; Gifford 2007; Stokols & Altman 1987). • The field has always been concerned with both built and natural environments with early research emphasizing the former (Stokols 1995; Sundstrom, Bell, Busby, & Aasmus 1996).

• Restorative environments are environments which promote - not only permit – recovery, that is, restoration from stress and fatigue. Stress and fatigue are defined as including elevated physiological arousal and negative emotions and an inability to concentrate well. • Thus, restorative environments are stressameliorating, stress-reducing environments. • Restoration is ”the process of renewing or recovering resources or capacities that have become diminished / depleted in meeting the demands of everyday life. ” (Hartig, T. )

Two theories Psychophysiological Stress Recovery Theory (SRT) Attention Restoration Theory (ART)

• Studies show that outdoor natural environments (= greenspace, water elements) are more efficient than outdoor built environments in producing restoration, that is, restorative outcomes.

Restorative outcomes include • Physiological relaxation (measured by alpha-waves in the brain, muscle tension in the forehead, skin conductance, pulse transit time, blood pressure, heart rate, cortisol). • Decrease in negative feelings (anger, sadness, anxiety and fatigue and increase in positive mood (tranquility and energy (Bowler et al. 2010). • Recovery of the ability to concentrate (to work etc. ), to gain attentional focus.

1. According to Attention Restoration Theory (ART): • There are four aspects of experience that precede, promote or co-occur with restoration = • perceived restorativeness of the environment

• Restoration of attentional fatigue unfolds in placeperson interactions that involve • psychological distance from an individuals’ usual routines (Being Away), “Spending time here gives me a good break from my day-to-day routine” • effortless attention as drawn by objects in the environment, like sunset, a fireplace, tree leaves (Fascination), “My attention is drawn to many interesting things”

• immersion in a coherent physical or conceptual environment that is of sufficient scope to sustain exploration (Coherence/extent), “There is not a great deal of distraction” • and a good match between personal inclinations and purposes, environmental supports for intended activities, and environmental demands for action (Compatibility), ”Being here suits my personality”

Hartig, T. , Korpela, K. , Evans, G. W. & Gärling, T. (1997). A measure of restorative quality in environments. Scandinavian Housing and Planning Research, 14, 175194. • We devised a mesure of these four aspects of experience – Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS) Hartig et al. (1997) and • Used in a study where inhabitants evaluated pictures of their nearby environment • See 5 pics below.

Fig 1. Perceived Restorativeness scale, 99% confidence interval of the mean sum score (5= very much restorative; 0= not at all) Korpela, K. (2001). Koettu terveys ja asuinalueen mieluisat ja epämieluisat ympäristöt. Teoksessa Melukylä vai mansikkapaikka? Asukkaiden ja asiantuntijoiden näkemyksiä asuinalueiden terveellisyydestä. Suomen ympäristö 467, 123 -141. Helsinki: Ympäristöministeriö, alueidenkäytön osasto. .

2. Psychophysiological Stress Reduction framework (SRT) • Ulrich et al. (1991) state that restoration is restoration from stress. • Stress is a process of responding through negative emotions and heightened autonomic arousal to a situation in which well-being is threatened.

• Restoration from stress is brought about in a visual encounter with a scene having particular properties. • Perception of these properties prompts a shift toward more positively-toned emotional states, drives down activity in different physiological systems, and blocks negative emotions and thoughts.

Ulrich (1983) assumes that perception of • certain structural properties of the visual array, • gross depth properties that require little inference, and • general classes of environmental content (green plants, trees, green space, water) rapidly evoke automatic positive affective and physiological responses.

• Complexity – the number of independently perceived elements in a scene, is moderate to high; • The complexity has structural properties that establish a focal point and • There is a moderate to high level of depth that can be perceived unambiguously; • The ground surface texture tends to be homogeneous and even and is appraised as conducive to movement; • A deflected vista is present; • Threat is absent; • Presence of water will enhance preference.

Herzog, T. R. , Maguire, C. P. , & Nebel, M. B. (2003) Assessing the restorative components of environments. J of Environmental Psychology, 23, 159 -170. • Fig. 3. Nature settings with the highest mean ratings for PRP. Mean ratings are 4. 34 (upper left), 4. 33 (upper right), 4. 28 (lower left), and 4. 24 (lower right).

• Fig. 4. Nature settings with the lowest mean ratings for PRP. Mean ratings are 2. 50 (upper left), 2. 65 (upper right), 2. 71 (lower left), and 2. 74 (lower right).

Areas of Accumulating Evidence - 2 • Experiments are improving our understanding of the processes involved in the well-being and health effects (restoration/stress, mood, self-esteem, energy) their temporal characteristics, and the features of environments that promote them.

Systolic blood pressure after walking in natural and urban areas (Hartig et al. , 2003).

• Walking in a nature reserve fostered blood pressure change that indicated greater stress reduction (difference in systolic blood pressure 6 mm. Hg after 20 min. walk) than afforded by walking in the urban surroundings. • Positive affect increased anger decreased in the nature reserve by the end of the walk; the opposite pattern emerged in the urban environment. • Performance on an attentional test improved slightly from the pretest to the midpoint of the walk in the nature reserve, while it declined in the urban setting. This difference was observed also after the walk.

Tyrväinen, L. , Ojala, A. , Korpela, K. , Lanki, T. , Tsunetsugu, Y. , & Kagawa, T. (2014). The influence of urban green environments on stress relief measures: A field experiment. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 38, 1 -9. 24

Restorative experiences and benefits in the favourite place (measured with six items = Restoration Outcome Scale = ROS) • Three of the items reflected relaxation “I feel myself calmer after being here”, “After visiting this place I always feel restored and relaxed”, “I get new enthusiasm and briskness to my everyday routines from here”, • one item reflected attention restoration “My concentration and alertness increase here clearly” • two items reflected clearing one’s thoughts “I can forget everyday worries here”, “visiting here is a way of clearing and clarifying my thoughts”. Korpela, K. , Ylén, M. , Tyrväinen, L. & Silvennoinen, H. (2008). Determinants of restorative experiences in everyday favourite places. Health & Place, 14, 636 -652.

Restoration Outcome Scale (ROS) • “This item describes my experience”… rated on a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 7 • (1 = not at all, 7 = completely). • 6 -item ROS scale: Korpela, K. , Ylén, M. , Tyrväinen, L. & Silvennoinen, H. (2008). Determinants of restorative experiences in everyday favourite places. Health & Place, 14, 636 -652.

Areas of Accumulating Evidence - 3 • Surveys are increasing our understanding of the ways in which people make deliberate use of environments for restorative experiences, stress-regulation and self-regulation over extended periods of time.

Favourite place studies • In adult samples from different countries (Finland, USA, Ireland, Senegal, Estonia), natural settings, such as parks, beaches or forests have constituted 50%-60% of favourite places (Korpela & Hartig, 1996; Korpela et al. , 2001; Newell, 1997, Sommer, 1990).

• Cross-sectional self-report studies have shown that favourite neighbourhood places provide stress-alleviating experiences and that people visit these places for regulation of their selfexperience and feelings (Jorgensen, Hitchmough & Dunnett, 2007; Korpela, 1992; Korpela & Hartig, 1996; Korpela & Ylén, 2007; Korpela et al. , 2001; Newell, 1997). • Restorative outcomes, i. e. , relaxation, alleviation of negative feelings, increase in positive feelings, forgetting worries, clearing random thoughts, recovering attentional focus, and facing matters on one’s mind have characterized visits to natural favourite places in particular.