Natural Categorization: Electrophysiological Responses to Viewing Natural Versus Built Environments

Mahamane, Salif; Wan, Nick; Porter, Alexis; Hancock, Allison S.; Campbell, Justin M.; Lyon, Thomas E.; Jordan, Kerry

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00990

Cited by 15 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 71 publications

(102 reference statements)

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“…A similar result was reported by Foo (2016), who studied people's well‐being in three forests distinguished by their degree of naturalness. Psychophysiological studies have also shown that natural environments are more restorative than built environments (Mahamane et al, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Connectedness and well‐being in simulated nature

Pasca

Carrus

Loureiro

et al. 2021

Applied Psych Health & Well

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People relate to nature physically, cognitively and emotionally, and this relationship fosters their well-being. There are various types of environment according to their degree of human intervention, raising the question of whether they each exert different effects on people, connectedness and well-being. In order to study the extent to which environmental connectedness and well-being are a function of viewing different types of nature, we conducted a study with 454 participants from five different countries, who viewed images on a computer screen of one of three types of environment (totally natural, quasi-natural or non-natural) and responded to a series of associated items. The results of a mediation analysis showed an indirect effect of type of environment on happiness through positive and negative affect and connectedness to nature. The corresponding ANOVAs revealed differences in the connectedness and well-being elicited by different types of environment, and in preference: totally natural and quasi-natural environments (with no differences between them) showed differences with non-natural environments. Therefore, our study results suggest that simply looking at natural environments on a computer screen arouses higher levels of well-being than viewing images of non-natural environments, and the former elicit a greater feeling of connectedness.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Connectedness and well‐being in simulated nature

Pasca

Carrus

Loureiro

et al. 2021

Applied Psych Health & Well

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“…Consistent with ART, a few EEG studies have found evidence of increases in cognitive control activity. For example, brain components such as the error-related negativity (LoTemplio et al 2020), the P300 (Scott et al, under review), and the late positive potential (Mahamane et al 2020) increase in response to nature exposure compared to urban exposure. The reward positivity (McDonnell et al, under review), whose amplitude is inversely related to efficient allocation of attention, decreases in response to nature compared to urban environments.…”

Section: Attention Restoration Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward a unified model of stress recovery and cognitive restoration in nature

Scott¹,

McDonnell²,

LoTemplio³

et al. 2021

Parks Stewardship Forum

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There is abundant evidence for both cognitive and affective improvements stemming from spending time in nature; however, the mechanism underlying these effects are still under debate. Frameworks such as Attention Restoration Theory (ART; Kaplan 1995) and Stress Recovery Theory (SRT; Ulrich et al. 1991) have been helpful in understanding how restoration is achieved. Using the neurovisceral integration model (NIVM; Lane 2000, 2002), we suggest that cognitive restoration and stress recovery co-occur and that they are bidirectional manifestations of activity in the vagus nerve, which links the peripheral nervous system (PNS) to the central nervous system (CNS). Future research should examine both PNS and CNS activity simultaneously to provide a better understanding of the changes in the body and brain associated with immersion in nature. This research program will provide the scientific evidence to help inform public policy related to human health, urban design, and environmental protection.

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“…Adopting an event-related EEG approach with a 14-channel device, Mahamane et al ( 75 ) compared the brain activity on a passive oddball viewing task using scenic images of natural and built environments. Their focus was on the elicited P3 and late positive potential (LPP) responses–neural correlates of categorical differences (greater activation for rare stimuli or updating contexts) and stimulus valence/pleasantness (negative stimuli have greater positive amplitude), respectively.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cities and neuroscience research: A systematic literature review

Ancora

Blanco-Mora²,

Alves³

et al. 2022

Front. Psychiatry

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BackgroundCities are becoming the socio-economic hubs for most of the world’s population. Understanding how our surroundings can mentally affect everyday life has become crucial to integrate environmental sustainability into urban development. The present review aims to explore the empirical studies investigating neural mechanisms underlying cognitive and emotional processes elicited by the exposure to different urban built and natural spaces. It also tries to identify new research questions and to leverage neurourbanism as a framework to achieve healthier and sustainable cities.MethodsBy following the PRISMA framework, we conducted a structured search on PubMed, ProQuest, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. Only articles related to how urban environment–built or natural–affects brain activity through objective measurement (with either imaging or electrophysiological techniques) were considered. Further inclusion criteria were studies on human adult populations, peer-reviewed, and in English language.ResultsSixty-two articles met the inclusion criteria. They were qualitatively assessed and analyzed to determine the main findings and emerging concepts. Overall, the results suggest that urban built exposure (when compared to natural spaces) elicit activations in brain regions or networks strongly related to perceptual, attentional, and (spatial) cognitive demands. The city’s-built environment also triggers neural circuits linked to stress and negative affect. Convergence of these findings was observed across neuroscience techniques, and for both laboratory and real-life settings. Additionally, evidence also showed associations between neural social stress processing with urban upbringing or current city living–suggesting a mechanistic link to certain mood and anxiety disorders. Finally, environmental diversity was found to be critical for positive affect and individual well-being.ConclusionContemporary human-environment interactions and planetary challenges imply greater understanding of the neurological underpinnings on how the urban space affects cognition and emotion. This review provides scientific evidence that could be applied for policy making on improved urban mental health. Several studies showed that high-quality green or blue spaces, and bio-diverse urban areas, are important allies for positive neural, cognitive, and emotional processes. Nonetheless, the spatial perception in social contexts (e.g., city overcrowding) deserves further attention by urban planners and scientists. The implications of these observations for some theories in environmental psychology and research are discussed. Future work should take advantage of technological advancements to better characterize behavior, brain physiology, and environmental factors and apply them to the remaining complexity of contemporary cities.

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Natural Categorization: Electrophysiological Responses to Viewing Natural Versus Built Environments

Cited by 15 publications

References 71 publications

Connectedness and well‐being in simulated nature

Connectedness and well‐being in simulated nature

Toward a unified model of stress recovery and cognitive restoration in nature

Cities and neuroscience research: A systematic literature review

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