Effects of integration between visual stimuli and auditory stimuli on restorative potential and aesthetic preference in urban green spaces

Abstract

Visual landscapes and auditory soundscapes are considered to be integral elements of a sustainable habitat. Although numerous studies have indicated that natural imagery and sounds have positive impacts on human health and wellbeing, few have examined the specific effects of combined landscapes and soundscapes, or their health-promoting mechanisms. In this study, we conducted two comparative experiments in which we exposed 200 adult volunteers to a set of visual stimuli and auditory-visual stimuli. We created the Short-version Revised Restoration and Preference Scale to gather personal restorative potential and aesthetic preference data about the effects of adding auditory factors to images. We found that: (1) restorative value was positively associated with botanical and ecological educational backgrounds; (2) natural visual factors (natural water, shrubs and flowers) and auditory factors (flowing water sounds, wind-induced vegetation sounds, birdsong) were positive predictors of restorative value and preference, while human activities and voices were negative predictors; (3) nature-related auditory-visual stimuli were typically rated as having better health benefits than single visual stimuli; (4) the diversity and complexity of nature-related stimuli were significant restorative attributes; and (5) a generalized restorative environment comprised a mountain forest with biodiverse vegetation and natural sounds. This study proposes that restorative environments in urban green spaces can be achieved by taking full account of visual stimuli, auditory stimuli, and human activities. Our findings highlight the importance of multi-disciplinary cooperation and a multi-sensory approach in health-oriented environmental design.