Attention restoration theory

Cognitive psychology
Perception
Attention
Memory
Metacognition
Language
Metalanguage
Thinking
Numerical cognition

Attention restoration theory (ART) asserts that people can concentrate better after spending time in nature, or even looking at scenes of nature. Natural environments abound with "soft fascinations" which a person can reflect upon in "effortless attention", such as clouds moving across the sky, leaves rustling in a breeze or water bubbling over rocks in a stream. Philosophically, nature has long been seen as a source of peace and energy, yet the scientific community started rigorous testing only as recently as the 1990s[1] which has allowed scientific and accurate comments to be made about if nature has a restorative attribute.

The theory was developed by Rachel and Stephen Kaplan in the 1980s in their book The experience of nature: A psychological perspective,[2][3][4] and has since been found by others to hold true in medical outcomes as well as intellectual task attention, as described below. Berman et al. discuss the foundation of the attention restoration theory (ART). "ART is based on past research showing the separation of attention into two components: involuntary attention, where attention is captured by inherently intriguing or important stimuli, and voluntary or directed attention, where attention is directed by cognitive-control processes."[5]

  1. ^ Hartig, Terry; Mang, Marlis; Evans, Gary W. (2016-07-26). "Restorative Effects of Natural Environment Experiences". Environment and Behavior. 23 (1): 3–26. doi:10.1177/0013916591231001. S2CID 142995005.
  2. ^ Kaplan, R.; Kaplan, S. (1989). The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-34139-4.
  3. ^ The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrative framework. By Kaplan S. in Journal of Environmental Psychology 1995, v.15, pp169-182.
  4. ^ Bell, P.A.; Greene, T.C.; Fisher, J.D. (2001). Environmental Psychology, Fifth Edition. Harcourt College Publishers. ISBN 978-0-8058-6088-7.
  5. ^ Berman, Mare G et al. "The Cognitive Benefits of Interacting with Nature", Psychological Science, Vol 19. Num 12. Michigan, 28 May 2008. Retrieved on 2012-09-16.