Natural scene on monitor : improve executive functioning?

Abstract

Previous studies had shown nature’s restorative effect on sustained and directed attention with participants being physically in the nature environment or simply via viewing photos. It

was also found that this effect may extend to virtual setting. Given the relationship between directed attention and executive function, this study tried to extend the results on executive functioning, particularly inhibition within virtual setting. Forty participants were required to perform flanker task and Stroop task before and after viewing nature or urban pictures for five minutes on monitor screen. There was no significant result of nature pictures restoring inhibition. Instead, present study surprisingly found that urban pictures may restore one’s inhibition instead of nature pictures. It could be due to the different culture context since

participants in present study had been living in an Asian urban environment for a long time. Another possible reason would be the balanced water elements in pictures. It was also found

that female participants who disliked the urban pictures very much had their inhibition restored and hence reacted faster in posttest. In conclusion, this study suggested a new research idea of how do the nature and urban environments influence executive functioning of residents from urbanized cities.