Abstract
Background: Studies on Contemplative Landscapes (CL) show that not only do they have high ecological and visual values and are preferred by a majority of people, but they also can be beneficial to our mental health and well-being. Physical attributes of CL have been studied and operationalized, which has led to the development of the psychometric measurement tool called the Contemplative Landscape Questionnaire (CLQ) (1).Objectives: In the present study, we applied an experimental approach to the analysis of CL. We hypothesized that, when compared to Non-Contemplative Landscapes (NCL), they would induce higher frontal alpha power asymmetry, higher temporal beta power asymmetry and lower bilateral frontal beta power.Methods: Thirty-two healthy individuals (12 female) took part in the study. During the experimental protocol, participants were asked to passively view 12 landscapes, six CL and six NCL, while continuous EEG was recorded in a within-subjects design.Results: We found significantly increased power in the beta frequency band of the right temporal brain regions in the viewings of CL compared to NCLConclusions: The findings suggest that Contemplative Landscapes capture more visual, stimuli-driven attention from the viewers and can be linked with switching attention systems (described in Attention Restoration Theory), which is compatible with a stress reduction mechanism.
Highlights
Current trends in landscape architecture and urban planning show the increasing demand for space design solutions that will achieve both environmental and social benefits
The differences in the mean values of temporal beta asymmetry between the resting state (MBL = −0.016, SD = 0.208), when the subjects were viewing the Contemplative Landscapes (MCL = 0.156, SD = 0.199) and when they were viewing the Non-Contemplative Landscapes (MNCL = 0.093, SD = 0.167) were greater than what would be expected by chance and post-hoc analyses indicated significant differences between all pairs: NonContemplative Landscapes (NCL) and Baseline recordings (BL) (p < 0.001), CL and NCL (p = 0.015) and between CL and BL (p < 0.001)
We hypothesized that CL would induce lower alpha power in the left hemisphere, higher beta power on the right temporal regions and lower bilateral frontal beta would induce higher frontal alpha power asymmetry, higher temporal beta power asymmetry and lower bilateral frontal beta power, when compared to the NCL
Summary
Current trends in landscape architecture and urban planning show the increasing demand for space design solutions that will achieve both environmental and social benefits. The research attempts, within the EBD, to emphasize credible evidence to inform design of green open spaces, especially in the urban context, to improve people’s health and well-being. This emerging field includes, among other areas of expertise, the methods of psychology and neuroscience. The construct of CL may be linked with the Attention Restoration Theory (ART) with a so-called restorative effect of exposure to natural environments, which can reduce stress and mental fatigue, improve positive emotions and promote a sensation of well-being [6,7,8]. Physical attributes of CL have been studied and operationalized, which has led to the development of the psychometric measurement tool called the Contemplative Landscape Questionnaire (CLQ) [1]
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