Palsdottir, Anna Maria
- Department of People and Society, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Research article2023Peer reviewedOpen access
How restorative landscapes can benefit psychological and physiological responses: a pilot study of human-nature relationships in Sweden and Taiwan
Hung, Shih-Han; Palsdottir, Anna Maria; Sang, Asa Ode; Shahrad, Azadeh; Liao, Hui-Hsi; Hsu, Yu-Yun; Chang, Chun-Yen
Abstract
Restorative landscapes provide people with the opportunity to experience nature. This pilot study aimed to determine whether cultural differences affect psychological and physiological responses to restorative landscapes. Two populations, one in Taiwan and one in Sweden, were experimentally compared by showing them photos of restorative landscapes from each country. The results showed that restorativeness was affected more by photos of the restorative landscape in Sweden than in Taiwan. The results showed that restorativeness in terms of psychological and physiological responses was affected. A significant variation in heart rate was observed between the populations: Taiwanese participants experienced higher heart rates when viewing unfamiliar and novel scenery when compared to Swedish participants. No significant differences between the populations were observed regarding attention capacity, working memory, and muscle tension. The psychological and physiological responses to the two countries' distinctive restorative landscapes may have implications for designing such landscapes in urban green spaces.
Keywords
Culture difference; restorativeness; nature-based intervention; biofeedback
Published in
Landscape Research
2023, Volume: 48, number: 8, pages: 1073-1090
Publisher: ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR AND FRANCIS LTD
Ode Sang, Åsa
- Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Shahrad, Azadeh
- Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
SLU Authors
Associated SLU-program
Nature experiences and health
Sustainable Development Goals
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
UKÄ Subject classification
Landscape Architecture
Human Geography
Publication identifier
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01426397.2023.2213634
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/122856