Sensescapes and attention restoration in nature-based tourism: Evidence from China and Australia

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 100855
Author(s):  
Mengyuan Qiu ◽  
Xin Jin ◽  
Noel Scott
Author(s):  
Adam G Gavarkovs

Recent research has suggested that physical activity in natural areas may provide benefits that exceed those in other settings. Additional benefits include increased self-esteem and enjoyment of the activity, and decreased negative mood states and blood pressure. Therefore, encouraging nature-based physical activities may play an important role in the promotion of health and wellness. Advertising has been cited as an important component of a health promotion campaign; although to date no study has recommended strategies for designing advertising specific to nature-based physical activities. The purpose of this article is to review two prominent human-nature interaction frameworks, Attention Restoration Theory (ART) and Psychoevolutionary Theory (PET), and based on their tenets, recommend strategies for message design. The two recommendations proposed are: (1) to include natural images that meet the restorative criteria outlined in both theories; and (2) to explicitly feature the additional benefits of exercising in natural spaces in advertisements. Adhering to these recommendations in the advertisement design process may increase the effectiveness of the message.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsai Wang ◽  
Chia Tsai ◽  
Ta Tang

The beautiful, natural environment in a tourist hotel’s marketing images can evoke relaxing and soothing emotions. However, can tourist hotels use nature as a servicescape to make their performing arts services more attractive? Based on attention restoration and servicescape theory, this study explores and compares the influence of tourist hotels’ performing arts images with nature- or built-based servicescapes on the advertising effectiveness (i.e., customer visual attention and behavioral intention). To analyze visual attention on the marketing images, this study uses eye-tracking technology to record customer visual trajectories. This experiment used a total of 113 participants. The sample size of the nature-based servicescape group was 59 (age with mean = 39.04), and that of the built-based servicescape group was 54 (age with mean = 40.17). A tourist hotel’s (Volando Urai Spring Spa & Resort) marketing images were chosen as stimuli. All participants were randomly assigned to the nature-based or the built-based servicescape group. In each experimental group, all the images were randomly presented to reduce any order effects of the images. By using eye-tracking analysis, the experimental findings were as follows: (1) A nature-based servicescape can arouse more visual attention of customers than a built-based servicescape can; (2) Marketing images with performing arts activities in nature-based servicescapes attract the visual attention of customers; (3) Nature-based servicescapes stimulate higher behavioral intentions of consumers than built-based servicescape.


2018 ◽  
Vol 51 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 1082-1105
Author(s):  
Tristan Leslie Snell ◽  
Louise Anne McLean ◽  
Finn McAsey ◽  
Michael Zhang ◽  
Diana Maggs

This study investigated whether a video of a natural landscape would be more effective for restoration, including attention restoration and recovery from stress, when perceived as live rather than recorded. In total, 60 participants undertook attention-expending and stress inducing tasks, before being randomly assigned to one of three conditions (perceived live video, recorded video, and control). Attention recovery was assessed using Digit Span Backwards (DSB) and the Necker Cube Pattern Control (NCPC) pre- and post-condition, while stress was measured via skin conductivity, heart rate, and heart rate variability. We found that only participants in the live group significantly improved on the NCPC, whereas stress recovery was similar for both perceived live and recorded groups. Our findings suggest that a perceived live stream of nature may allow for greater cognitive inhibition, an important aspect of learning, whereas both perceived live and recorded videos effectively reduced sympathetic stress responses.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naseem Dillman-Hasso

The Attention Restoration Theory (ART; Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989) postulates that exposure to nature can help improve cognitive processes, specifically attentional control. These benefits are hypothesized to help with concentration and focus. However, there is tremendous variability in the definitions and manipulations of nature in research on ART. This complicates extrapolation from the results and makes it harder to see if nature itself is the restorative component or rather some other facet. This review evaluates randomized controlled trials studying the ART from 2013-2018 and catalogues differences in how nature was operationalized across studies. The paper presents suggestions for more methodologically consistent ART research, including direct replications, and an updated scale for measuring the restorativeness of an environment. This preprint is an unpublished senior thesis.


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