A Simulated Walk in Nature: Testing Predictions From the Attention Restoration Theory

Attention restoration theory (ART) predicts that top-down processing during everyday activities can cause attentional fatigue and that bottom-up processing that occurs when people experience nature will be restorative. This study exposed participants to three different conditions using a repeated measures design: a control condition during which participants walked on a typical treadmill; a nature condition during which participants walked on the same treadmill, experiencing a simulated nature walk; and a perturbation condition that included the same simulated nature scene but also required top-down processing during the walk. The findings supported ART predictions. As measured by the backward digit span test, top-down processing in a simulated natural environment nullified the restorative effects and the nature condition produced a significant improvement in directed attention performance compared to the control and perturbation conditions after a 10-min walk. These findings offer practical insights to enhance cognitive functioning through simulated natural environments.

Sustainable Behaviors and Perceived Psychological Restoration

This study was aimed at exploring one potential psychological benefit of sustainable behaviors: the perceived psychological restoration (PR) associated to engaging in pro-environmental activities at both the physical and social levels. PR involves the recovery of lost psychological resources (attention, positive mood states, psychological wellbeing) mostly caused by attentional fatigue and stress, while sustainable behavior constitutes a set of actions aimed at the protection of natural and social resources. One-hundred- and thirtyseven individuals living in a Northern Mexican city participated in a study assessing four instances of sustainable behavior: altruistic, proecological, frugal, and equitable actions. In addition, four dimensions of a construct related to the perceived psychological restorative effects of sustainable behaviors were measured: being away, fascination, extent and compatibility, assumedly resulting from pro-environmental and pro-socialactions. Using structural equation modeling, the first four constructs were aggregated into a higher-order factor (sustainable behavior), while the rest of the constructs constituted a second higher-order factor (perceived restoration). These two higher-order factors resulted highly and significantly associated, indicating that practicing actions of environmental and social conservation might likely result in the restoration of lost psychological functions. These results reinforce the idea that sustainable behavior produces positive psychological consequences.

An Instrument to Measure the Attentional Demands of Community-Dwelling Elders

The capacity to direct attention (CDA) is a pivotal facet of cognitive functioning that allows people to focus on trains of thought, complex tasks, and the daily business of life. According to a theoretical framework of directed attentional fatigue (DAF) and restoration, excessive demand for attention depletes CDA, a condition called DAF. Attentional demands are factors such as feelings of loss and worries that require intense or prolonged use of CDA and thus can lead to DAF. The purposes of this study were to determine reliability and validity for an instrument to measure attentional demands, the Attentional Demands Survey (ADS). The ADS was administered to 197 (142 females, 50 males) community-dwelling elderly (ages 65-98 years, M = 77). A factor analysis revealed 4 factors/subscales consistent with theorized domains. Internal consistency for each subscale ranged from .87 to .90 and test-retest reliability was .91. The ADS can be used to explore the relationships among attentional demands, CDA, and interventions to support and restore attentional functioning for elders.