Study: Nature Connections and Attention Restoration

This study explores the Psychology of Recent Nature Visits: (How) Are Motives and Attentional Focus Related to Post-Visit Restorative Experiences, Creativity, and Emotional Well-Being?

The study published in 2018, based on 565 Finnish participants showed an increase of 57% on attention restoration, 22% increase in creativity and 37% improved emotional wellbeing

Read the full study here: Journals, sage pub. com

Abstract from Journal

The health-enhancing benefits of contact with nature have become widely recognized, but empirical studies that consider the motives and attentional focus of nature visits are lacking.

These psychological qualities may partly determine why one visits natural environments and why some visits are more restorative than others.

This study examined recent nature visits by Finnish survey respondents (n = 565) via exploratory structural equation modeling.

In the estimated models, motives and attentional focus explained 54% to 57% of post-visit restorativeness, 22% of creativity, and 33% to 37% of emotional well-being.

Of the assessed motives, stress reduction was most strongly connected to increased restorativeness and emotional well-being.

The results indicate that motives and attentional focus are strongly connected to the outcomes of nature visits.