A STUDY OF THE RESTORATIVE EFFECTS OF URBAN AND NATURAL RECREATIONAL SETTINGS

This study explored people’s responses to different types of recreational settings.
Many studies have depicted the benefits of natural recreation settings on human psychological and physical effects, particularly those of the Kaplans based on the theory of the restorative effect of natural environment.
However, the effect of the characteristics of recreational settings is still little understood.
Therefore, this study proposed to examine the effect of different characteristics of recreational settings on respondents’ psychological responses and physiological responses.
The testing slides included images of recreational settings in natural recreational areas and man-made urban parks.
The results showed that respondents’ brain wave readings were higher when viewing scenes of the natural recreation areas than man-made parks.
The natural recreational setting stimulus also produced positive physical relaxation responses, with higher psychological attention restorative, preference, and relaxation scores.

XXVI International Horticultural Congress: Expanding Roles for Horticulture in Improving Human Well-Being and Life Quality

C.-C. Hung, C.-Y. Chang

landscape, attention restoration, preference, relaxation, EEG (Electroencephalography), EMG (Electromyography), HR (heart rate)

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2004.639.30