Restoring the mind: A neuropsychological investigation of university campus built environment aspects for student well-being

Abstract

This study explored the role of the built environment of an academic campus in influencing students' perception of mental restoration and well-being, who are constantly at risk of stress and psychological distress. A survey of 429 college students was conducted to identify activity hotspots on campus, and a neuropsychological study involving mobile EEG and Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS) was conducted on 22 students at these hotspots to investigate the role of built environment aspects on restorative approach/neglect behavior and perception of built environment. The study relies on four prominent theoretical constructs in the area, namely Attention Restoration Theory (ART), Stress Reduction Theory (SRT), Arousal Theory, and Prospect & Refuge Theory, to develop combinatory mechanism-based hypotheses for identifying aspects of a mentally resilient campus built-environment. The study's statistical analyses reveal that certain environmental aspects, such as vegetation, novelty/uncertainty, acoustic ambience, and expansive vistas, are positively associated with favourable approach behaviours and normalized average alpha brain waves, while other elements, such as presence of high density of buildings may be related to avoidance behaviours. Greenery and Sky had the most positive relationship with the Normalized Alpha (β = 0.487 and β = 0.352, respectively) while the presence of buildings revealed a negative relationship (β = −0.291), indicating that a stronger building density was linked to a weaker level of normalized alpha waves. The study also shows that natural components such as grass, sky, and filtered and diffused light boost people's perceptions of an environment's restorative characteristics. The findings of the study have the potential to impact campus design and planning strategies that prioritize student well-being and create more hospitable environments for students to thrive, resulting in improved mental health and academic accomplishment.