It remains unclear whether the restorative effects of listening to natural sounds reflect the effects of the sounds themselves or the influence of semantic labeling. This study examined whether manipulating sound-source attributions alters the self-reported restoration outcomes of listening to a 10-min running-river sound, as measured by the Restoration Outcome Scale (ROS). We hypothesized that listening itself would increase restoration outcomes without any source label (H1), that a "live-streamed from a national park" label would enhance the increase described in H1 (H2), and that an "artificially synthesized" label would attenuate the increase described in H1 (H3). In an online experiment, 168 subjects were randomly assigned to the "no-information (control)," "livestreamed," or "synthesized" label groups. ROS was measured at baseline (T0), post-stress-induction/pre-listening (T1), and post-listening (T2); the labels were presented after the T1 ROS assessment, i.e., immediately before the listening. A linear mixed-effects model supported H1 but not H2-H3: restoration outcomes increased similarly across groups (no label effects). A post hoc qualitative analysis of the participants' descriptions in their own words indicated that the sound evoked visual imagery of natural environments even without source information. These findings suggest that perceptual clarity of the sound source may itself act as an inherent label, indicating that bottom-up (stimulus-driven) and top-down (cognitive-driven) processes may be inseparable when listening to easily identifiable natural sound.

Tutkimuksen kehitettiin Luonnosta Virtaa –interventio (LuoVi –ryhmä ja etäohjatut itsenäiset ulkoilijat) työhyvinvoinnin voimavaraksi, ja selvitettiin interventioon osallistuneiden kokemuksia ja tunnetilan muutoksia intervention aikana. Aineistossa oli työssä käyviä työntekijöitä (N=121), joista naisia oli 92 prosenttia, ja keski-ikä oli 47 vuotta. Tutkimus toteutettiin monimenetelmällisellä tutkimusotteella: LuoVi –ryhmän tunnetilan muutoksia (kullakin ryhmän tapaamiskerralla) verrattiin itsenäisten ulkoilijoiden ja kontrolliryhmän tunnetilan muutoksiin varianssianalyysin avulla, ja sen lisäksi LuoVi –ryhmään osallistuneiden kokemuksia LuoVi –ryhmän loppukeskusteluista analysoitiin laadullisesti sisällönanalyysilla. Määrällisten tulosten mukaan LuoVi -ryhmällä oli välittömiä myönteisiä vaikutuksia tunnetilaan jokaisella LuoVi –ryhmän tapaamiskerralla, ja usealla tapaamiskerralla myönteisten tunteiden lisääntyivät ja kielteiset vähenivät enemmän kontrolliryhmän tunnetilan muutoksiin verrattuna. Myös itsenäisellä ulkoilulla oli myönteisiä vaikutuksia tunnetilaan jokaisella interventiokerralla, ja myös heillä vaikutukset erosivat usealla kerralla verrattuna kontrolliryhmän tunnetilan muutoksiin. LuoVi –ryhmän ja itsenäisten ulkoilijoiden välillä ei tunnetilan muutoksissa ollut eroa. Laadullisten tulosten mukaan LuoVi –ryhmän kokemuksissa nousi esille neljä pääluokkaa: kokonaisvaltainen luontokokemus, koetut vaikutukset, LuoVi –ryhmän erityispiirteet ja sosiaalisuuden merkitys. LuoVi –ryhmän avulla luonnon hyvinvointivaikutuksista tultiin enemmän tietoiseksi, ja sen avulla myös häiritsevät kokemukset vähenivät tai poistuivat.

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli kehittää emootioita, minäkokemusta ja ympäristösuhteen ominaisuuksia koskevista, niin sanottua kokonaisvaltaista luontokokemusta kuvaavista väittämistä mittari (KOLU) ja selvittää sen rakennetta, ulottuvuuksien reliabiliteettia sekä mittarin rakenne-, kriteeri- ja ryhmien erotteluvaliditeettia. Aineistossa oli terveyteen liittyvän internetjulkaisun aikuislukijakuntaa (n = 485) sekä sosiaali- ja terveydenhuoltoalan ammattilaisten asiakkaita ja ohjattavia, joille oli ammattimaisesti käytetty luontoon liittyviä menetelmiä osana ohjausta tai kuntoutusta (n = 49). Vastaajista naisia oli 72 prosenttia, ja vastaajien keski-ikä oli 43.5 vuotta. Tämän lisäksi KOLU-mittarin luotettavuuden arviointia varten kerättiin opiskelija-aineisto (n = 347). KOLU-mittarin rakennetta arvioitiin faktorianalyysilla ja ulottuvuuksien reliabiliteettia Cronbachin alfoilla. Rakenne- ja kriteerivaliditeettia arvioitiin Pearsonin korrelaatiokertoimilla. Ryhmien erotteluvaliditeetin tutkimiseksi verrattiin KOLU-mittarin ulottuvuuksien esiintymistä aiemmassa tutkimuksessa löydetyissä luontokokemuksen ryhmissä (tervehtyjät, elpyjät, ristiriitaiset) varianssianalyysin avulla. KOLU-mittari osoittautui koostuvan neljästä ulottuvuudesta (luontoyhteyden kokemus, umpikujan tunne, tilantuntu ja hyväksyvä läsnäolo), joiden reliabiliteetit olivat riittävän hyvät. Lisäksi rakenne-, kriteeri- ja ryhmien erotteluvaliditeetit osoittautuivat kohtuullisiksi.

Työntekijöiden jaksaminen on työelämässä koetuksella. Tarkoituksemme on tutkia, kuinka uupumusasteisen väsymyksen taso muuttuu kahden vuoden aikana ja miten tämä muutos tai pysyvyys kytkeytyy työstä palautumiseen. Palautumista tutkimme sitä ylläpitävien palautumisen kokemusten (työstä irrottautuminen, rentoutuminen, taidonhallinta ja kontrolli vapaa-ajalla) ja estävien (työasioiden tunnepitoinen ja ongelmasuuntautunut vatvominen vapaa-ajalla) tekijöiden avulla. Tutkimukseen osallistui 664 eri alojen työntekijää. Heistä 58 prosenttia oli naisia, keski-ikä oli 47.5 vuotta, ja 38 prosentilla oli vähintään ylempi korkeakoulututkinto. Tulokset osoittivat, että suurimmalla osalla (61 %) tutkittavista uupumusasteisen väsymyksen oireet pysyivät vakaina tutkitun kahden vuoden ajan (37 %:lla ei oireita, 17 %:lla lieviä ja 7 %:lla vakavia oireita). Oireet vähenivät 19 prosentilla ja lisääntyivät 20 prosentilla tutkittavista. Uupumusoireiden taso ja muutos kytkeytyivät selvimmin tunnepitoiseen työasioiden vatvomiseen, psykologiseen työstä irrottautumiseen ja rentoutumiseen vapaa-ajalla. Ryhmissä, joissa uupumuksen taso pysyi samana, vatvominen, irrottautuminen ja rentoutuminen vapaa-ajalla säilyivät myös samalla tasolla tutkitun kahden vuoden ajan. Niillä, joilla uupumusoireet vähenivät, väheni myös tunnepitoinen vatvominen, kun taas työstä irrottautuminen ja rentoutuminenlisääntyivät. Vastaavasti niillä, joilla uupumusoireet lisääntyivät, vatvominen lisääntyi ja työstä irrottautuminen ja rentoutuminen heikkenivät. Myös viikoittaisissa työtunneissa ja työn aikapaineissa raportoidut muutokset tukivat havaittua uupumuksen muutosta ja pysyvyyttä.

Tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin koronapandemiasta johtuneen rajoitus- ja poikkeusajan alkuvaihetta (kevät 2020) ja selvitettiin, erosiko koronapandemiaan liittyvien kielteisten tunteiden (koronatunteet) voimakkuus kevään eri vaiheissa vastanneiden välillä. Lisäksi selvitettiin, oliko luontoulkoilulla yhteyttä koronatunteisiin ja miten koronatunteet olivat yhteydessä luontoyhteyteen ja luonnossa koettuihin vaikutuksiin. Osallistujista, jotka olivat 19–84-vuotiaita (n = 714), suurin oli naisia (85 %; keski-ikä 44 v). Aineiston analyysissa käytettiin määrällisiä (varianssi- ja regressioanalyysit) ja laadullisia (sisällönanalyysi) menetelmiä. Tulosten mukaan huolestuneisuus koronasta oli vähäisempää kevään lopussa kuin alussa vastanneiden joukossa. Luonnossa koettujen vaikutusten perusteella oli mahdollista erottaa ryhmät: luonnossa elpyjät ja tervehtyjät sekä luonnon vaikutukset ristiriitaisina kokevat. Luonnossa tervehtyjillä koronatunteet helpottuivat vahvemmin kuin elpyjillä ja ristiriitaisilla. Luontoulkoilu ja luontoyhteys selittivät koronatunteiden helpottumista, ja luontoyhteys muunsi luontoulkoilun ja koronatunteiden helpottumisen suhdetta.

This study investigated the restorative effects of repeated listening to natural sounds indoors in real-life settings. Previous studies have mainly been cross-sectional and laboratory studies. We designed an online field experiment lasting seven days, in which we assigned 166 university students to one of four intervention groups: (1) listening to natural sounds, (2) sitting in silence (i.e., another means of restoration), (3) reading news online (i.e., a prevalent but not necessarily restorative activity), or (4) no intervention (i.e., the control). Self-reported restorative experience was measured both before and after the daily intervention (but once a day in the nointervention group), and the weekly-measured perceived stress and state mindfulness were assessed at the beginning and end of the intervention week. Linear hypothesis tests based on a linear mixed-effects model (LMM) showed that, at the day level, natural sounds were the most restorative, followed by silence, while reading news proved not to be restorative. In addition, the daily restorative effect of natural sounds was carried over to later days and its seven-day accumulation was half as great as the general daily restorative effect, although the withinday pre-post change ostensibly diminished over time. An ANCOVA and paired t-tests revealed that a reduction in the weekly-measured perceived stress and an increase in the weekly-measured mindfulness took place after listening to natural sounds or sitting in silence, with the former intervention type having stronger effects, aligning with the results for the restorative experience. Our findings suggest that the carryover effect of repeated listening to natural sounds for psychological restoration may more than compensate for the diminishing returns in within-day pre-post changes over the course of a week.

•We are concerned about JEVP's decision not to accept pure qualitative research.•Qualitative research provides important insights for environmental psychology.•Excluding this method limits opportunities for research with minority populations.•The decision may negatively impact scholars from minoritised backgrounds.•It may also limit interdisciplinary approaches to environmental psychology.

This longitudinal online field study compared the restorative effects of two indoor leisure activities: repeated listening to natural sounds and favorite music, considering individuals' music-related mood-regulation strategies. Sixty-nine university students participated in a 14-day online field experiment with a crossover design. Subjects listened to natural sounds for 10 min every day for 1 week and to favorite music in the other week. The effects of these sounds on the subjects' self-reported daily restorative experience and weekly perceived stress were measured by questionnaires. The analyses based on linear mixed-effects models showed that, when listened to repeatedly, natural sounds became more and more restorative than music for those with no music-related mood-regulation strategies, while these two sound types were equally restorative among subjects who had such strategies. This suggests the superiority of natural sounds over music. People who spend time in stressful indoor spaces can benefit from this easy-to-use, cost-free indoor leisure activity when unable to visit natural surroundings.

Background Exposure to natural environments is thought to be beneficial for human health, but the evidence is inconsistent. Objective To examine whether exposure to green and blue spaces in urban environments is associated with mental and physical health in Finland. Methods The Helsinki Capital Region Environmental Health Survey was conducted in 2015−2016 in Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa in Finland (n=7321). Cross-sectional associations of the amounts of residential green and blue spaces within 1 km radius around the respondent’s home (based on the Urban Atlas 2012), green and blue views from home and green space visits with self-reported use of psychotropic (anxiolytics, hypnotics and antidepressants), antihypertensive and asthma medication were examined using logistic regression models. Indicators of health behaviour, traffic-related outdoor air pollution and noise and socioeconomic status (SES) were used as covariates, the last of these also as a potential effect modifier. Results Amounts of residential green and blue spaces or green and blue views from home were not associated with medications. However, the frequency of green space visits was associated with lower odds of using psychotropic medication (OR=0.67, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.82 for 3–4 times/week; 0.78, 0.63 to 0.96 for ≥5 times/week) and antihypertensive (0.64, 0.52 to 0.78; 0.59, 0.48 to 0.74, respectively) and asthma (0.74, 0.58 to 0.94; 0.76, 0.59 to 0.99, respectively) medication use. The observed associations were attenuated by body mass index, but no consistent interactions with SES indicators were observed. Conclusions Frequent green space visits, but not the amounts of residential green or blue spaces, or green and blue views from home, were associated with less frequent use of psychotropic, antihypertensive and asthma medication in urban environments.

In their 2022 (p. 3) editorial, Schultz and McCunn propose that JEVP “is not an outlet [...] for work that is purely qualitative in nature”. We write to express our concern at this statement. While we are pleased that qualitative research is still welcome in JEVP through mixed-methods studies, this policy risks diminishing the perceived value of qualitative methods alone. Qualitative research identifies novel phenomena and avenues of research and sheds light on unquantifiable experiences. We argue that prioritising quantitative research negatively affects our understanding of human–environment relationships, especially among seldom-heard populations, and privileges Western, objectivist paradigms of knowledge production. We suggest that qualitative and quantitative methods should be seen as equally valid tools, each with their own standards of application and reporting, and with their own strengths and weaknesses, that can be used to address different types of questions.

This research investigated the effects of a nature-based treatment on participants diagnosed with depression. Participants (N = 136) were randomized into nature-based (n = 59) or standard care-only (n = 77) groups. The participants in the nature-based group were offered 12 nature-based sessions once a week in addition to standard care. The participants in the nature-based group were on average 45.0 years (range 22-64 years) and participants in the standard-care only were on average 45.4 years (range 19-64 years). The nature-based groups took place in five towns across Finland. The observed effects of the intervention on participants in the nature-based group, when compared to the participants who received standard care only, included a greater decrease in psychological distress (p < .05) and an increase in restorative experiences (p < .01) as well as in the self-reported ability to work/study but only at post-measurement (p < .05). Nature sessions produced restorative experiences that mediated the decrease in depression. The depression scores of participants in both groups reduced significantly and no differences were observed between the groups. Thus, nature-based intervention can be a safe and beneficial form of short-term group treatment for depression in addition to standard care.

Previous research has proposed that everyday favorite places can be used as restorative niches to support emotional self-regulation and enhance subjective well-being. The study aimed to investigate how perceived physical characteristics of favorite places and emotional experiences in the place form meaningful configurations. Appraisals of favorite place attributes and place-related emotional experiences of Finnish and Hungarian participants (N = 259 and 290, respectively) were collected via online assessment. Joint factor analysis of the favorite place appraisals provided two factors of physical attributes (natural and urban characteristics) and two factors of emotional experiences (self-recovery and distress). Content analytically detected types of favorite places differed meaningfully across the four factors and between the two nationalities. Latent profile analyses of the factors in the two samples yielded four types of person-environment fit in the favorite place in the Finnish and five in the Hungarian sample. Beyond subgroups with restorative place experiences ("self-restoration in nature"), some subgroups showed ambivalent place characteristics. These included "places of distress" and "environments for distress and recovery" at home and in nature. Results indicate a novel phenomenon called "distress-related" or "ambivalent place preference." These results highlight the complexity of environmental self-regulation strategies relating to favorite places and the need for cross-cultural studies and dynamic, process-oriented research approaches.

Rates of living alone, especially in more urbanised areas, are increasing across many industrialised countries, with associated increases in feelings of loneliness and poorer mental health. Recent studies have suggested that access to nature (e.g. parks and green spaces) can reduce the stressors associated with loneliness, partly through providing opportunities to nurture personal relationships (relational restoration) and engage in normative community activities (collective restoration). Such associations might vary across different household compositions and socio-demographic or geographical characteristics, but these have not been thoroughly tested. Using data collected across 18 countries/territories in 2017-2018, we grouped urban respondents into those living alone (n = 2062) and those living with a partner (n = 6218). Using multigroup path modelling, we tested whether the associations between neighbourhood greenspace coverage (1-km-buffer from home) and mental health are sequentially mediated by: (a) visits to greenspace; and subsequently (b) relationship and/or community satisfaction, as operationalisations of relational and collective restoration, respectively. We also tested whether any indirect associations varied among subgroups of respondents living alone.Analyses showed that visiting green space was associated with greater mental well-being and marginally lower odds of using anxiety/depression medication use indirectly, mediated via both relationship and community satisfaction. These indirect associations were equally strong among respondents living alone and those living with a partner. Neighbourhood green space was, additionally, associated with more visits among respondents living with a partner, whereas among those living alone, this was sensitive to the green space metric. Within subgroups of people living alone, few overall differences were found. Some indirect pathways were, nevertheless, stronger in males, under 60-year-olds, those with no financial strain, and residents in warmer climates. In conclusion, supporting those living alone, as well as those living with a partner, to more frequently access their local greenspaces could help improve mental health via promoting relational and collective restoration.

This study focuses on a nature-based group treatment (Flow with Nature [FWN] treatment) for working-age adults diagnosed with clinical depression. We searched for different subgroups of depression and restoration levels to see who, in particular, benefits from FWN treatment. In total, 108 people participated in the study at various locations in Finland. The participants were 44.8 years old on average (range = 19-64), and most were female (81.5%). We used Latent Profile Analysis to identify different profiles of level and change in depression and restoration in the participants of FWN treatment to investigate who particularly benefits from it. We found three different profiles of depression level and observed a significant reduction of depression scores in the group with the lowest depression level. In addition, two different profiles of restoration were identified and depression symptoms were significantly alleviated in the group with higher restoration, whereas no such change was observed in the group with lower restoration. FWN can be especially beneficial as a low-threshold treatment for mild depression in addition to treatment-as-usual. Further, the results suggest that it is advisable to purposively support restoration by nature-based treatments for depression.ClinicalTrials.gov public website (Identifier: NCT04897685)

Recovery from work stress during workday breaks, free evenings, weekends, and vacations is known to benefit employee health and well-being. However, how recovery at different temporal settings is interconnected is not well understood. We hypothesized that on days when employees engage in recovery-enhancing lunchtime activities, they will experience higher resources when leaving home from work (i.e., low fatigue and high positive affect) and consequently spend more time on recovery-enhancing activities in the evening, thus creating a positive recovery cycle. In this study, 97 employees were randomized into lunchtime park walk and relaxation groups. As evening activities, we measured time spent on physical exercise, physical activity in natural surroundings, and social activities. Afternoon resources and time spent on evening activities were assessed twice a week before, during, and after the intervention, for five weeks. Our results based on multilevel analyses showed that on days when employees completed the lunchtime park walk, they spent more time on evening physical exercise and physical activity in natural surroundings compared to days when the lunch break was spent as usual. However, neither lunchtime relaxation exercises nor afternoon resources were associated with any of the evening activities. Our findings suggest that other factors than afternoon resources are more important in determining how much time employees spend on various evening activities. Fifteen-minute lunchtime park walks inspired employees to engage in similar health-benefitting activities during their free time.

Decades of research in environmental psychology have shown that contact with natural environments has restorative, stress-ameliorating effects. At present, researchers in the emerging field of virtual natural environments are studying whether these restorative health effects can be reproduced with simulated environments, raising new possibilities for preventive healthcare and therapy. This paper aims to synthesize earlier research on restoration and virtual nature, including theory, measurement, and modalities. Restoration theories were reviewed regarding their connection to measures and modalities, identifying possible research gaps in the current approaches. Furthermore, we performed a descriptive analysis of empirical studies utilizing virtual nature for restoration, exploring the commonalities and differences between the studies, emphasizing measured outcomes and modalities. Based on a thematic analysis of the theoretical and empirical review, we also introduce a new conceptual model named the Multidimensional Model of Restoration Measurement. This model connects different aspects of restoration measurement and theories. We conclude the review by discussing current measurement practices and envision multiple paths for future research.

Experience of nature is widely linked to well-being, including psychological restoration. Benefits to creativity have been explored in a limited number of studies which refer to theories of restorative environments as frameworks, but it is unclear which aspects of the environment and person-nature transactions are implicated in these processes. In this study, N = 20 members of the British public were interviewed regarding the relevance of natural environments for their personal and professional creative activities. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts revealed that cognitive, affective, and aesthetic appraisals were reported as directly relevant to creativity in nature, while environmental properties, sensory experiences, and the self were reported as informing these appraisals. Similarities to theories of restorative environments were observed in terms of the relevance of affect, cognition, and aesthetics. However, divergences also occurred, especially with regard to perceptions of arousal as beneficial for creativity, the importance of change in the environment, and the relevance of the self. Studies and theoretical modeling of relationships between nature and creativity should include these concepts, as well as those from theories of restorative environments.

Background: Natural sounds are reportedly restorative, but most research has used one-off experiments conducted in artificial conditions. Research based on field experiments is still in its infancy. This study aimed to generate hypotheses on the restorative effects of listening to natural sounds on surgeons, representing professionals working in stressful conditions. Methods: Each of four surgeons (two experts and two residents) participated six times in an experiment where they took a 10-min break listening to natural sounds (four times) or without natural sounds (twice) after a surgical operation. We measured their skin conductance level, an indicator of sympathetic arousal, continuously during the break (measurement occasions N = 2520) and assessed their mood using two questionnaires before and after the break (N = 69 and N = 42). We also interviewed them after the break. Results: Based on statistical Linear Mixed-Effects modeling, we developed two hypotheses for further, more detailed studies: (H1) Listening to natural sounds after an operation improves surgeons’ mood. (H2) Inexperienced surgeons’ tension persists so long that the effect of natural sounds on their sympathetic arousal is negligible. Conclusions: This risk-free, easy-to-use means of stress alleviation through natural sounds could benefit highly-stressed people working indoors.

We provide an extension of the Savanna perceptual preference hypothesis (“Savanna Hypothesis”), supposing that interaction with landscapes offering survival advantage for human groups during evolution might have gradually evolved to permanent landscape preferences. This additional support is based on the palaeoenvironmental analysis of the spread of modern humans into Europe in the late Pleistocene and their living environments there. Our hypothesis is that the preference for park-like landscapes after African savannas experienced a kind of “refreshment” in the Pleistocene. Thus, preferences for certain types of natural settings and scenes may have a more continuous evolutionary history than previously thought. The extended Savanna Hypothesis termed “Pleistocene Hypothesis” might stimulate further work on this important topic linking human evolution and human environmental preferences.

There is a lack of consensus on whether preference informs evaluations of urban and natural scenes as psychologically restorative or instorative, or whether instorative perceptions inform preference. Perceptions of restorative potential and outcomes without a prior stress intervention are called instorative. In two online experimental studies conducted across long (N = 140) and short (N = 110) timeframes, we show a primacy effect for instorative perceptions; that is, evaluations of the instorative benefits of a scene are better predictors of ratings of preference than preference ratings of perceived instorative benefits. This was true for both natural and urban types of scenes. We found support for perceived instoration and affective appraisals being similarly strong and independent mediators. Their relative share in affecting preference or perceived instorativeness could not be reliably differentiated. Examination of thoughts, memories, and identity elicited by viewing such scenes may further clarify relationships between environmental preference and instoration.