Aesthetic Responses to Natural Scenes

Publisher: Milena Agnieszka Guziak Publishing (みPublishing)
ISBN: 978-83-68042-16-0

As a Shinrin Yoku guide and person who simply feels the forest, one of the aspects of facilitating forest bathing sessions is witnessing the myriad ways in which natural scenes elicit deep, emotional responses from participants, which are not forced by the guide but rather are in an unfolding process with its own pace. These responses, ranging from simple appreciation to complex feelings of awe and wonder, are not only inherently valuable but also contribute significantly to psychological and behavioral well-being. The connection between humans and nature may go beyond mere preference; it may encompass  emotional and perceptual experiences that are be deeply rooted in our sense of self and  identity,

Engaging with the aesthetic qualities of nature during Shinrin Yoku sessions can lead to increased well-being, prosocial behaviors, and a stronger inclination towards environmental stewardship. By understanding the interplay between the inherent properties of natural landscapes and the psychological processing of these properties by the participant, we can appreciate why certain environments resonate deeper with us.

Range of Aesthetic Responses:

  • Natural scenes evoke aesthetic responses from simple liking to complex emotional states like awe and wonder (Joye & Bolderdijk, 2015; Silvia et al., 2015).
  • These responses have intrinsic value and are linked to psychological and behavioral benefits, such as increased well-being and prosocial behaviors (Capaldi et al., 2017; DeLucio & Mugica, 1994; Zhang, Howell & Iyer, 2014; Zhang et al., 2014).

Environmental Aesthetics:

  • Research traditionally focuses on preferences for different landscapes (e.g., forests, savannahs) and their formal properties (Heerwagen & Orians, 1993; Ulrich, 1983; Yang et al., 2021).
  • Aesthetic experiences result from an interaction between landscape properties and the viewer’s processing of these properties (Jacobsen, 2006).

Psychological Connection:

  • The unity of perceiver and object is essential for aesthetic experiences of nature (Berleant, 1992).
  • Positive aesthetic outcomes occur when an artwork or natural scene aligns with an important aspect of the viewer’s identity (Pelowski et al., 2017).

Connectedness to Nature:

  • Reflects the degree to which nature is incorporated into one’s sense of self (Mayer & Frantz, 2004; Perrin & Benassi, 2009).
  • Characterized by emotional attachment and beliefs about one’s connection to the natural world (Schultz, 2002).

Impact on Aesthetic Sensitivity:

  • Individuals with higher connectedness to nature report greater restorative effects, preference for landscapes, and positive emotional outcomes (Berto et al., 2018; Davis & Gatersleben, 2013; McMahan et al., 2018; Tang, Sullivan & Chang, 2015).
  • They also have enhanced perceptual qualities of natural scenes and are more emotionally affected by degraded landscapes (Clayton, 2021).

Attention and Aesthetic Experience:

  • Higher connectedness to nature is associated with increased visual engagement with natural scenes (Bingjing, Chen & Shuhua, 2022; Wu et al., 2013).
  • Enhanced attention allows for more detailed extraction of image features, contributing to improved aesthetic evaluation (van den Berg, Joye & Koole, 2016).

Mediation by Attention:

  • Visual attention (measured by dwell time) mediates the relationship between connectedness to nature and aesthetic responses (Brieber et al., 2014; Palumbo et al., 2023).
  • Greater visual attention leads to a deeper appreciation of the image’s aesthetic qualities.

Empirical Findings:

  • Studies show a positive correlation between viewing time and perceived restorativeness of scenes (van den Berg, Joye & Koole, 2016).
  • Individuals higher in connectedness to nature spend more time exploring natural features within scenes (Bingjing, Chen & Shuhua, 2022; Wu et al., 2013).

DEFINITIONS

Dwell time is a measure of the amount of time a person spends looking at a particular area or object within a scene. In the context of aesthetic responses to natural scenes, dwell time typically refers to the total duration that a viewer’s gaze is fixed on specific elements of a natural landscape during a viewing episode. This measure is often used in eye-tracking studies to quantify visual attention.

Perceived Restorativeness of Scenes refers to how individuals perceive and evaluate the restorative potential of a particular environment or scene. For example, restorative environments are settings that help individuals recover from mental fatigue, stress, and negative emotions. Natural environments, such as forests, parks, and gardens, are often considered highly restorative.

From Encyclopedia of Shinrin Yoku

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