| Nature settings are said to elicit the positive emotion of contentment, characterized by feelings of relaxation, easing of tension, tranquility, self-reflection and savoring of current life. Fredrickson's (1998, 2000, 2002) Broaden-And-Build Model of positive emotions may shed light into the mechanisms through which nature-related stimuli yield positive effects on its viewers. However, the manner and intensity in which emotions are experienced may be influenced by an individual's personality traits (Gray, 1987; Strelau, 1987; Watson & Clark, 1997).;The current study examined whether viewing nature settings footage yields increased self-reports of positive affectivity, decreased self-reports of negative affectivity, physiological signs of sympathetic system recuperation, and improved performance on cognitive tasks. Furthermore, the role of personality traits as moderators for nature-related stimuli's beneficial effects was also assessed. Finally, the specific positive emotion of serenity was tested to investigate whether it mediates the relationship between nature-related stimuli and its beneficial effects as posited by Fredrickson (1998). Results provide support for some of nature-related stimuli's beneficial effects and also indicate that personality may influence this relationship. |
