Neural Correlates of Natural Scenes: Effects of Scene Category and Spatial Frequency on Preference and Brain Activation Responses

Abstract

過去研究證實人們偏好自然景觀更甚於都市景觀，然而這類環境尚不清楚是否有關鍵的視覺特徵造成這樣的影響。本研究以景觀分類加上影像低階視覺特徵的觀點，探討不同景觀類型與空間頻率構成的環境影像偏好，並深入討論景觀影像刺激對人體大腦反應之影響。研究方法為將環境影像分為三種景觀類型與兩種空間頻率類別共六種景觀類型，利用持續注意力測驗、偏好問卷與功能性磁振造影儀器進行實驗。研究結果顯示景觀類型對偏好具有顯著差異(F=19.42, p<0.001)，以海岸類型偏好平均數(3.39)為最高；空間頻率對偏好之影響雖無顯著，但當景觀類型與空間頻率共同作用時，對偏好亦有影響；在景觀影像刺激對大腦反應之結果，主要具有顯著活化的腦區為枕葉中之舌回(lingual gyrus)與楔葉(cuneus)；而觀看都市類型影像相較於海岸類型，海馬旁回(parahippocampal gyrus)會具有顯著活化的現象。藉由本研究結果能夠提供景觀影像低階視覺特徵對人們感知之影響的研究觀點，並瞭解人們與自然環境間互動的關係。Previous researches have shown that human have a preference for images of natural scenes over built environments, and being in or viewing natural scenes can improve attention and psychological benefits. However, what are the features in the landscapes that produce these benefits? The purpose of this study is to explore the responses of brain activation to natural scenes. We focused on the relationship between individuals’perceptions and the environmental features. In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to monitor brain activity responses. Participants were asked to perform the Sustained Attention to Response Test (SART), answer the preference question scales, while viewing a mixture of photographs of scene category (coast, forest, and urban) and different spatial frequency (low and high frequency). The result shows that there is interaction effect of scene category and spatial frequency on preference. People prefer coast and forest than urban. The result shows that there were different patterns of brain activation associated with different landscapes, activation responses were commonly found in lingual gyrus and cuneus. In viewing urban minus coast images condition, the parahippocampal gyrus were found activated. The findings of this study provide a viewpoint to the influence of landscape features on human perceptions, and how individuals interact with nature and environment.