This theory, also known as the psycho-evolutionary theory, is also based on the assumption that human physiology has evolved in natural environments, which are perceived as more pleasant, resulting in higher levels of positive affect and the ability to sustain attention, with reduced levels of negative affect and physiological stress (Valtchanov & Ellard, 2015). It states that an individual's initial response to an environment is affective or emotional and shapes the cognitive processes that follow. Therefore, urban city environments are more cognitively taxing than nature environments, and thus, less restorative.Īnother mechanistic explanation regarding nature's benefits is Stress Reduction Theory (SRT Ulrich, 1981 Ulrich et al., 1991), which focuses on how natural environments reduce physiological stress and aversive emotion. By contrast, urban city environments (e.g., bright lights, neon signs, loud vehicles, construction sounds) require more direct attention which prevents cognitive processing to wander or disengage from the stimuli.
One main theory regarding nature's benefits is Attention Restoration Theory (ART Kaplan, 1995, 2001), which states that cognitive capabilities evolved in natural environments (e.g., trees, beaches, waterfalls, sunsets) that capture attention effortlessly, allowing cognition to easily recover and replenish. The benefits of nature environments can also enhance workplace and job satisfaction, reduce sick-days, and may even improve income (Bringslimark, Hartig & Patil, 2007 Browning & Heerwagen & Orians, 1986 Kweon, Ulrich, Walker & Tassinary, 2008 Leather, Pyrgas, Beale & Lawrence, 1998 Rigolon, 2019). Exposure to nature (e.g., trees, vegetation, plants, foliage, bodies of water, etc.) has been shown to generate beneficial and restorative effects on psychological and physiological well-being, including enhanced emotional affect, reduced stress, and improved cognitive functioning (Berman, Jonides & Kaplan, 2008 Berto, 2005, 2010 Browning, de Kort, Meijnders, Sponselee & IJsselsteijn, 2006 Grinde & Patil, 2009 Gullone, 2000 Hartig, Böök, Garvill, Olsson & Gärling, 1996, 1991 Herzog, Black, Fountaine & Knotts, 1997 Jiang, Chang & Sullivan, 2014 McMahan & Estes, 2015 Raanaas, Evensen, Rich, Sjøstrøm & Patil, 2011 Saeidi-Rizi, McAnirlin, Yoon & Pei, 2020 Tyrväinen et al., 2014 Ulrich, 1981 Ulrich et al., 1991 Valtchanov & Ellard, 2010 Van den Berg, Koole & van der Wulp, 2003).
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