Cognitive Benefits of Interacting with Nature

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 Summary of the Article
The article titled "The Cognitive Benefits of Interacting With Nature" (Berman, Jonides &
Kaplan, 2008) examine whether people can benefit cognitively when they are exposed to
nature, with attention to memory and attention improvement being the major focus. The
research is based on Attention Restoration Theory (ART), which holds that unlike asphalt or
concrete, nature is the primal environment, where we can effortlessly technostress out. Our
theoretical assumption talked about the fact that if one was shown a natural environment first
then he may not change his decision if the urban environment was shown later on, whereas, if
the order was of the urban scene first followed by the natural environment he or she may
change his decision. So we conducted an experiment to confirm whether those stereotypes are
true or not by comparing the cognitive performance of the individuals who watched the
nature first versus those who watched the The designing of the experiment leads to recruiting
38 participants, of which the vast majority are university students, for the purposes of keeping
the sample and experiment controlled and homogeneous. The participants had become two
small groups, one experiencing a walk in the nature and another in the city, then performing
five types of cognitive tasks. This component of the study consisted of a within-subjects
design where each of the participants spent at least one day in each environment, limiting the
possibility of individual differences in ability to affect the results.
The study compared two groups of participants: those who experienced natural environment
and those exposed to urban surroundings. The cognitive performance was the dependent
variable, which was assessed through attention and memory tasks. The researched questioned
whether anything the natural environments provide helps the participants to perform these
tasks better than they do in urban environments. The method utilized a controlled setup where
participants were walking through the stated environments and then performed cognitive
duties in a laboratory. The aim was to produce data which could be used without any
accuracy concerns. Through this method, the scientist would establish the isolation of the
environmental variable and could then use that as a tool to directly observe it's influence on
cognitive performance.
The results of the study had the same direction as the hypothesis, displaying that under
natural environment condition the participants made significantly greater numbers of correct
responses in cognitive tasks compared to the urban ones. According to the authors, the
Attention Restoration Theory was supported by these findings. The natural environment
might have a posi-tive effect on our cognitive functions, and by that they mean that it helps
our concentration and memory get better. The experiment conducted by Berman, Jonides and
Kaplan (2008) confirms in an experimental manner the mental advantage of being in direct
contact with nature. It reflects significantly the prominence of those natural spots during the
course of cognitive health and is also of interest to urban design, public health, and personal
life. The results recommend to incorporate nature and enhance the interaction among
inhabitants with nature in urban areas, which result in cognitive performance growth and total
mental health wellbeing.

Critique
Confounding Variables
 A possible confounding variable that can be attributed to the study is the earlier exposure by
the participants to natural or urban environments that might influence their cognitive
effectiveness. Furthermore, the prompt can be specific to individuals who spend a lot of time
in nature like these people might naturally have more robust attention and memory or has
become more adapted to the restorative aspects of nature. This also relates to people who are
used to the busyness of an urban surround may not feel the cognitive functions improved as
much as the people who would be exposed to nature. Though the research took proper
measures to restrain this external factor by using a within-subjects design. Consecutive nights
in each environment arranged in this way enabled each participant to experience both
environments on an equal footing with the rest of the subjects thereby eliminating individual
variability. The objective of this study was to manipulate the environment and the individuals
themselves to can compare the results to native data. This prevents the results of the cognitive
performance to be related to the individual's experience
Sample Appropriateness
The sample chosen by the study, mainly including students at university level, could be not as
representative as could be general population. While the fact that this limitation may raise a
question about the replicability of the findings in other target groups, including older adults
or children, who may have different cognitive level from the subjects of the study and can be
more or less responsive to the natural environment, remains, however. Given this, future
studies need to check the sample with different ages, backgrounds and live styles so that the
results can be used not only by a part of people but society as a whole. Within such research a
more complete picture should emerge and this is what is needed to get a deeper insight into
the psychological mechanisms.
Validity of the Dependent Variable
The credibility of the dependent variable in the study is demonstrated by the utilization of the
most frequently applied cognitive tasks that are used to detect attention and memory and
assess the general cognitive functions which are key determinants of mental health. Such
competencies represent a known possibility in psychological research and have been proven
to be a good measurement of the cognitive improvements that arise from almost any form of
nature engagement. Nevertheless, the study could be enlarged to evaluate cognitive tasks of a
broader range, such as executive function, problem-solving, or creativity, to provide for the
eclectic spectrum of cognitive times natural environments could be instrumental in. The
initiation of a wider gamut of tasks within the system of future investigations would, in turn,
supplement the observed link between nature and our cognitive acts.
Interpretation of Findings
The authors' opinion is also supported by the Attention Restoration Theory, which is
realistic. On the other hand, alternative interpretations can regard the impact that physical
activity or the psychological consequences that being in a beautiful surrounding has on the
people despite the differences between the natural environment or the urbanized one.
Ethical Safeguards
The article itself does not discuss particular ethics safety measures, but it is safe to presume
that the ethics standards, detailed in the standard ethics protocols, including acquiring
informed consent and maintaining the right to opt out, were followed.
Follow-up Study
A follow-up study could focus on how often people spend time in nature could affect their
cognitive performance as well as mental health in the long term; however, a different and
more extensive sample as well as a wider range of cognitive tasks need to be used.
Strength of Results:
The results presented in the article seem strong, as they align with the Attention Restoration
Theory and previous research. Nevertheless, it would be of great help if the research team
had a comprehensive sample of different population groups and gathered data about their
performance in various cognitive tasks. The next step in research could be investigating the
advocated meaning through studying the contrasting perception of natural environments like
forests vs. parks on cognitive function in order to give a more dimensional view on memory
retention.
Additional Implications:
Besides the theoretical lies the outcomes implications in urban planning, public health and
education. For instance, spaces with green features in urban areas can boost cognitive
functioning and levels of satisfaction. As for education, outside learning activities may be
better than indoor, resulting in more attention and better learning results. The information
from this research also can educate process upgrade to safeguard the natural areas for their
cognitive ones.
Specific Problems:
One potential problem in the empirical research is the reliance on a homogeneous sample,
which limits the generalizability of the findings. Moreover, the research deal mainly with
short term cognitive improvements, lacking the long-term consequences of the regular
association of humans with nature. The question to be resolved includes the use of a more
complex sample population and the research on the duration of cognitive and psychological
positive effects resulting from nature contact.
Methodological Design
The experiment design used in the article suits for the researcher’s question, since it enables
direct look at cognitive performance before and after experience of different
environments. But on the other hand, it would be useful to conduct a bigger study and use a
variety of cognitive tasks to fully understand the scope of the mental benefits. Moreover,
conducting with some subjective measures of the naturalness of the environment for example
vegetation density, noise levels could also provide a more specific view of which aspects of
nature are the most restorative mentally.
Brief Summary
The article by Berman, Jonides, and Kaplan (2008) is an experimental study that investigates
the cognitive benefits of interacting with nature. The study is marked by the question that
determines whether people can improve cognitive functions such as attention and memory
when they are exposed to natural locations. Participants constituted 38 individuals. They
performed cognitive tasks after they walked in either a natural or urban settings. The findings
clearly demonstrated enhanced cognitive abilities in people after the aforementioned
exposure, which is in tune with the theory of Attention Restoration. Nevertheless, the design
of the sample can be optimized to make it representative and the variety of cognitive tasks
should be added in future projects.
 Reference
Berman, M. G., Jonides, J., & Kaplan, S. (2008). The Cognitive Benefits of Interacting With
Nature. Psychological Science, 19(12), 1207-1212. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-
9280.2008.02225.x