Study On The Restorative Effect And Mechanism Of Restorative Environment

In the perspective of environmental psychology, the exploration of human psychological function recovery from environmental research were undertaken and it becoming necessary. Restorative experience which obtain from the restorative environment for the recovery of directed attention fatigue, stress and depression to function well on various aspects of life. Numerous studies on the restorative environment are based on attention restoration theory (ART) and stress recovery theory (SRT), but these two theories were divided in the recovery process. The difference exists in the restorative experience is that the reduction in stress or recovery from directed attention fatigue. If two theories have different recovery mechanism, so how to distinguish their role process is the main purpose of this study, which hasn’t been discussed. Based on the preceding work and the deficiency in the restorative mechanism exploration, this study was divided into two parts, adopt the pre-posttest experimental design, the accuracy of the test of sustained attention to response test (SART) was considered as the restorative indicator, and the experimental subjects were college students. Three experiments were designed to explore the effect restoration of restorative environment and its restorative mechanism.Experiment 1 was designed to explore the effect restoration of restorative environment. The results showed that restorative environment really aroused restorative experience, which could be a foundation for the further study of restorative mechanism.Experiment 2 contains 4 groups to explore the restorative mechanism based on ART. The four groups are just rest after pre test (groupl), with a certain task when watching the restorative environment pictures (group2), immersing into the restorative environment (group3) and Imagining to relax (group4). The results support the view of ART, restorative experience is primarily cognitive resources recovery, and restorative effect maybe a process that instant added while consuming.Experiment 3 contains 3 groups to explore the restorative mechanism based on SRT. The subjects are in different state of social accompany when exposure to restorative environment, they are respectively accompanied by the person they like (group1), hate (group2) and themselves (group3). According to the explanation of SRT, individuals’ first and direct reaction is the change of positive emotions in the restorative environment; however, the results fail to certify this theory.According to the results of this study, we can draw the following conclusion:(1) Even in the laboratory of the virtual natural environment images also arouse restorative experience;(2) The restorative environment restorative effect mechanism of the research was produced through the recovery of cognitive resources, restorative effect of restorative environment maybe a process that instant added while consuming;(3) The process restorative experience can be conscious or unconscious;(4) The restorative effects of restorative environment is effective via direct visual way to present, the psychological imagination of restorative environment only is difficult to get restorative effect in a short period of time;(5) The state of participants will affect the restorative effect, restoration need individuals in the true sense being away to the annoying environment, if not can inhibit restorative effect even in the restorative environment.The results generally support the view of attention restoration theory. The conclusion can be applied from individual level, group level to public health organizations or government department to provide certain reference opinions about restoration. This is a fast and efficient approach to restore the physical and mental health of human especially for mentally fatigue ones.