The reduction of directed attention fatigue through exposure to visual nature stimuli: Exploring a natural therapy for fatigue

Abstract

This study compares the restorative effects on directed attention functioning following exposure to natural landscape images versus scrambled/distorted landscape images. Attention restoration theory (ART) provides an analysis of the stimuli and environment required for restoration of cognitive fatigue. According to ART, nature employs attention through a bottom-up process in which intrinsically fascinating stimuli from the natural environment itself modestly dominate attention. This allows the mechanisms responsible for top-down processing, which is necessary for directed attention, to recover and replenish. Unlike natural environments, urban environments employ attention through bottom-up stimulation, which forces one to overcome the stimulation using directed attention, thus not allowing for the recovery of directed attention mechanisms. This study looks into whether solely visual stimulation of natural environments is adequate for the restoration of directed attention mechanisms as measured with the “Attention Test” application. The mean completion time on the Attention Test game was significantly lower in the nature image group (M = 54.33) when compared to the scrambled image group (M = 62.04), thus validating the visual aspect of ART.

The nature gaze: Eye‐tracking experiment reveals well‐being benefits derived from directing visual attention towards elements of nature

“…Studies of the psychological benefits of viewing nature using indoor experiments have indicated that visual attention to nature is a primary avenue for benefits (Jo et al, 2019). Direct visual contact with natural elements is likely a key factor in deriving well-being benefits derived from nature, such as attention restoration from cognitive fatigue (Grinde & Patil, 2009;Varkovetski, 2015). But real-life knowledge on how visual attention to different nature elements (e.g.…”