Affective and Restorative Valences for Three Environmental Categories

Martínez-Soto, Joel; Gonzáles-Santos, Leopoldo; Barrios, Fernando A.; Montero, M. Teresa

doi:10.2466/24.50.pms.119c29z4

Cited by 19 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…Among other qualities, complexity defined as visual richness in colors, architectural styles, buildings and activities is a factor significantly influencing positive affective responses to places (Rapoport and Kantor, 1967; Ewing and Handy, 2009; Purciel et al, 2009). Similarly, Kaplan et al (1989) hypothesized that complexity, defined as richness of environmental information, is a predictor of environmental preference because promoting exploration, and studies on the preference for urban landscapes seem to support Kaplan’s hypothesis, indicating natural elements as key modulator for positive ratings of urban environments (Herzog, 1992; Hernández and Hidalgo, 2005; Abkar et al, 2011; Pazhouhanfar et al, 2013; Martínez-Soto et al, 2014; Twedt et al, 2016). Along this line, richness and variety in environmental information has been suggested as key design factors for dementia-friendly environments (Mitchell and Burton, 2006).…”

Section: Complexity and Environmental Preferencementioning

confidence: 97%

“…More broadly, natural environments have been associated with positive judgments of preference (Herzog, 1992; Laumann et al, 2001; Hernández and Hidalgo, 2005; Abkar et al, 2011; Pazhouhanfar et al, 2013; Martínez-Soto et al, 2014; Twedt et al, 2016). A limitation of comparing broad environments such as green areas and urban contexts is the potential influence of confounders, which calls for a more in-depth analysis of these environments.…”

Section: Complexity and Environmental Preferencementioning

confidence: 99%

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Complexity As Key to Designing Cognitive-Friendly Environments for Older People

Cassarino

Setti

2016

Front. Psychol.

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The lived environment is the arena where our cognitive skills, preferences, and attitudes come together to determine our ability to interact with the world. The mechanisms through which lived environments can benefit cognitive health in older age are yet to be fully understood. The existing literature suggests that environments which are perceived as stimulating, usable and aesthetically appealing can improve or facilitate cognitive performance both in young and older age. Importantly, optimal stimulation for cognition seems to depend on experiencing sufficiently stimulating environments while not too challenging. Environmental complexity is an important contributor to determining whether an environment provides such an optimal stimulation. The present paper reviews a selection of studies which have explored complexity in relation to perceptual load, environmental preference and perceived usability to propose a framework which explores direct and indirect environmental influences on cognition, and to understand these influences in relation to aging processes. We identify ways to define complexity at different environmental scales, going from micro low-level perceptual features of scenes, to design qualities of proximal environments (e.g., streets, neighborhoods), to broad geographical areas (i.e., natural vs. urban environments). We propose that studying complexity at these different scales will provide new insight into the design of cognitive-friendly environments.

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Section: Complexity and Environmental Preferencementioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Complexity and Environmental Preferencementioning

confidence: 99%

Complexity As Key to Designing Cognitive-Friendly Environments for Older People

Cassarino

Setti

2016

Front. Psychol.

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“…Specifically, the model posits a structure of emotion in which four poles (on an x-y axis) represent different emotional states, from low-arousal to higharousal, and from negative to positive emotion. Some studies in landscape [56,57] and lighting [58] used the model to measure emotional states, and it is also one of the most widely used and validated measure in psychological research of emotion [59]. Our survey questionnaire asked participants "To what extent do you feel this way right now, that is, at the present moment?"…”

Section: Emotionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of a view from a window on thermal comfort, emotion, and cognitive performance

Schiavon

Zhang

et al. 2020

Building and Environment

186

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Visual connection to nature has been demonstrated to have a positive impact on attention restoration, stress reduction, and overall health and well-being. Inside buildings, windows are the primary means of providing a connection to the outdoors, and nature views even through a window may have similar effects on the occupants. Given that humans recognize environments through multi-sensory integration, a window view may also affect occupants' thermal perception. We assessed the influence of having a window with a view on thermal and emotional responses as well as on cognitive performance. We conducted a randomized crossover laboratory experiment with 86 participants, in spaces with and without windows. The chamber kept the air and window surface temperature at 28 °C, a slightly warm condition. The outcome measures consisted of subjective evaluations (e.g., thermal perception, emotion), skin temperature measurements and cognitive performance tests. In the space with versus without windows, the thermal sensation was significantly cooler (0.3 thermal sensation vote; equivalent to 0.74 °C lower), and 12 % more participants were thermally comfortable. Positive emotions (e.g., happy, satisfied) were higher and negative emotions (e.g., sad, drowsy) were lower for the participants in the window versus the windowless condition. Working memory and the ability to concentrate were higher for participants in the space with versus without windows, but there were no significant differences in short-term memory, planning, and creativity performance. Considering the multiple effects of window access, providing a window with a view in a workplace is important for the comfort, emotion, and working memory and concentration of occupants.factors that may differ when there are simultaneous inputs from other sensory systems (e.g., auditory, visual, tactile). Therefore, we must consider the possible interactions between visual and thermal perceptions. Ignoring the possible connections between these sensory systems could lead to ineffective design that could result in occupant discomfort or decreased performance, or even building performance issues such as energy waste.While it is not known conclusively whether occupants' thermal responses differ when there is visual connection to the outdoors, there is some prior research that suggests this could be important. Some evidence shows that a visual connection to the outdoors can have a positive impact on the occupants' overall perceptions of the built environment, leading to flexibility in their expectations [28]. For instance, if we take this general concept and hypothesize that having a view to the outdoors could help occupants increase their satisfaction with a wider indoor temperature range, then we could relax the temperature setpoints, which would then allow a reduction in building energy consumption [29][30][31][32]. A reasonable amount of variability in the acceptable range may even be preferable for occupants [3,14]. For designers, it would be important to define the relevant parameter...

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“…People are sensitive to the variability of perceived restorative potential within setting type. Not all natural scenes are perceived to be restorative and not all built environments are perceived to be depleting (see also Kaplan et al, 1993 ; Scopelliti and Giuliani, 2004 ; Karmanov and Hamel, 2008 ; Martínez-Soto et al, 2014 for examples of how built environments vary on restorative potential).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Designed Natural Spaces: Informal Gardens Are Perceived to Be More Restorative than Formal Gardens

2016

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Experimental research shows that there are perceived and actual benefits to spending time in natural spaces compared to urban spaces, such as reduced cognitive fatigue, improved mood, and reduced stress. Whereas past research has focused primarily on distinguishing between distinct categories of spaces (i.e., nature vs. urban), less is known about variability in perceived restorative potential of environments within a particular category of outdoor spaces, such as gardens. Conceptually, gardens are often considered to be restorative spaces and to contain an abundance of natural elements, though there is great variability in how gardens are designed that might impact their restorative potential. One common practice for classifying gardens is along a spectrum ranging from “formal or geometric” to “informal or naturalistic,” which often corresponds to the degree to which built or natural elements are present, respectively. In the current study, we tested whether participants use design informality as a cue to predict perceived restorative potential of different gardens. Participants viewed a set of gardens and rated each on design informality, perceived restorative potential, naturalness, and visual appeal. Participants perceived informal gardens to have greater restorative potential than formal gardens. In addition, gardens that were more visually appealing and more natural-looking were perceived to have greater restorative potential than less visually appealing and less natural gardens. These perceptions and precedents are highly relevant for the design of gardens and other similar green spaces intended to provide relief from stress and to foster cognitive restoration.

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Affective and Restorative Valences for Three Environmental Categories

Cited by 19 publications

References 64 publications

Complexity As Key to Designing Cognitive-Friendly Environments for Older People

Complexity As Key to Designing Cognitive-Friendly Environments for Older People

The impact of a view from a window on thermal comfort, emotion, and cognitive performance

Designed Natural Spaces: Informal Gardens Are Perceived to Be More Restorative than Formal Gardens

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