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Human Physiological Benefits of Viewing Nature: EEG Responses to Exact and Statistical Fractal Patterns
Abstract
Psychological and physiological benefits of viewing nature have been extensively studied for some time. More recently it has been suggested that some of these positive effects can be explained by nature's fractal properties. Virtually all studies on human responses to fractals have used stimuli that represent the specific form of fractal geometry found in nature, i.e. statistical fractals, as opposed to fractal patterns which repeat exactly at different scales. This raises the question of whether human responses like preference and relaxation are being driven by fractal geometry in general or by the specific form of fractal geometry found in nature. In this study we consider both types of fractals (statistical and exact) and morph one type into the other. Based on the Koch curve, nine visual stimuli were produced in which curves of three different fractal dimensions evolve gradually from an exact to a statistical fractal. The patterns were shown for one minute each to thirty-five subjects while qEEG was continuously recorded. The results showed that the responses to statistical and exact fractals differ, and that the natural form of the fractal is important for inducing alpha responses, an indicator of a wakefully relaxed state and internalized attention.
... Previous studies exploring humans' response to fractals were focused primarily on physiological stress response, aesthetic response, preference, and interest [10,11]. One recurrent finding of these studies is that the mid-range of fractal complexity is especially preferred over lower and higher levels of fractal complexity [12][13][14][15] and exhibits significant stress-dampening effects [16,17]. ...
... A D-value quantifies the fractal scaling relationship among the patterns within the scene in terms of how the patterns at different scales are accumulated together into the resulting fractal image [20] projected on the retina [21]. The D-value ranges between 1 and 2. As noted above, the mid-range of fractal complexity (about 1.3-1.5) is often rated as more preferrable [12][13][14][15] and also exhibits stressdampening effects [16,17]. The seminal research conducted by Wise and Rosenberg [22] discovered that an individual's physiological response to stress is reduced by viewing an abstracted nature-inspired image, which later was identified by Taylor (2006) to be a mid-range fractal [23]. ...
... Recently, humans' response to more specific fractal properties has been an ongoing focus of research. For example, Hägerhäll and colleagues (2015) showed that the natural (statistical) form of fractals induced stronger alpha-band EEG responses (an index of a wakefully relaxed state and internalized attention) compared to exact fractals [16], findings that were in line with ART ideas on the impact of nature on attention. Studies on the preference of varying degrees of fractal complexity have shown that the preference for the mid-range D-value is the highest, although recent studies also highlight the effects of higher fractal dimension on humans. ...
A fractal, a self-similar organic or geometric pattern that repeats at varying scales, is one of the most compelling characteristics found in nature. Previous studies on fractal patterns have demonstrated consistent trends in potential psychological benefits, such as stress reduction. However, we fall short of understanding one of the essential properties of fractals found in nature, i.e., the three-dimensionality of their appearance. In this study, we aimed at understanding the role of the three-dimensionalization of fractal patterns in spatial structures on human subjective perceptual experience. Two hundred seventy three-dimensional spatial prototype models were created for this study, spanning two dimensions: (1) the application of spatial depth (shallow; medium; deep) and (2) fractal complexity (low; medium; high). The participants rated each space on six psychological dimensions (bad–good; stressful–relaxing; ugly–beautiful; boring–interesting; leave–enter; ignore–explore). Significant effects of the application depth of fractals were observed primarily for “boring-interesting”, “ignore-explore”, and “leave-enter” dimensions and were primarily manifested within spaces with medium and high D-values. The results suggest that spatial depth plays a significant role in individuals’ experiences of fractal spaces, arguably by making the space more engaging and interesting.
... Through experiments, he found that human vision is more easily attracted to things with fractal features and that eye movement tracks also have fractal features. Quantitative studies using EEG showed that mid-dimensional fractals lead to the largest changes in alpha and beta waves [27,28], and the change in their beta wave indicated that subjects' attention was being attracted to mid-dimensional fractals. Medium-dimensional fractals induce a large number of percepts [29] and they activate object perception and recognition areas in the visual cortex [30]. ...
... Its amplitude increases when the participant is stable and relaxed, and decreases when the participant is tense or concentrating on something. Beta (13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30) is usually produced when the participant is mentally active or anxious. The beta frequency band consists of low beta (13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20), which is generated during periods of concentration, study, and other mental activities, and high beta (20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30), which is generated when the participant is under stress or tension. ...
... Beta (13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30) is usually produced when the participant is mentally active or anxious. The beta frequency band consists of low beta (13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20), which is generated during periods of concentration, study, and other mental activities, and high beta (20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30), which is generated when the participant is under stress or tension. Theta (4-8 Hz) primarily reflects levels of drowsiness and fatigue, but is also associated with confusion, distraction, and anxiety [37,39,42]. ...
A Living wall system (LWS) is a biophilic design element that has been introduced into indoor environments in recent years. Previous studies have demonstrated that the LWS improves indoor visual comfort and air quality. However, studies on its psychological effects on occupants are still scarce. In this paper, the psychological effects were investigated by recording and analyzing the parameters of occupants’ physiological responses including an electroencephalogram (EEG) and heart rate variability (HRV). A cross-over experiment was conducted among 43 participants under three different desk work environments based on various materials involving an LWS, a fake LWS, and a bare white wall. The results conclude that LWSs effectively reduce the accumulation speed of negative psychological states caused by desk work to about 1/3, compared with a regular office environment without an LWS. However, occupants tend to be less excited and focused after resting in the LWS environment. Therefore, it is recommended to place LWSs in the rest area rather than close to the desk area in an office building, considering the balance between mental health and work efficiency.
... In recent years, a growing body of scholarship that empirically examines neurophysiological responses to the built environment has begun to emerge [1,2]. These studies provide evidence that visual exposure to biophilic design features, or spatial designs that either integrate live organic material or imitate patterns found in nature (biophilic design [3]), may reduce physiological stress, a biological response wherein the body's systems undergo changes to cope with perceived threats or challenges [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. Whilst the impact of this emerging research on our understanding of the relationship between the built environment and neurophysiological responses, such as physiological stress, is considerable, when viewed in conjunction with emerging evidence in relation to neuroimmunology, these findings may be of greater significance than previously understood. ...
... Biophilic design has received increasing attention in the architectural design and health fields due to its positive associations with stress reduction. A number of studies have measured the impact of biophilic design on physiological stress using clinical biomarkers such as blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate increases, skin conductance and body temperature, salivary cortisol, and neurological activity [5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. These clinical biomarkers of physiological stress are measured using biological sensors, including EEG, which measures electrical activity in the brain, electrodermal activity (EDA), which measures changes in sweat gland activity on the skin, photoplethysmography, an optical measurement of the pulse and can give heart rate and heart rate variability, heart rate variability (HRV), which measures variation between heartbeat intervals, facial electromyography, which assesses emotional expression in the face, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which measures blood flow in the brain [33]. ...
... For example, studies using EEG found that participants visually exposed to fractal forms elicited increases in alpha power in the frontal lobes and beta power in the parietal areas, region-specific markers that are indicative of increased interest and relaxation [6,7]. Similarly, a study by Kim and Gero (2022) using virtual reality (VR) and computer monitors found that participants exposed to biophilic forms on the computer monitor exhibited statistically significant differences in relative alpha and relative beta measurements (increased alpha and increased beta), whereas in the VR display, differences were found only in the relative beta power [8]. ...
Recent research in architectural neuroscience has found that visual exposure to biophilic design may help reduce occupant physiological stress responses. However, there are still significant gaps in our understanding of the complex ways in which biophilic design impacts on building occupant neurophysiology. The relationship between visual exposure to biophilic design and neurophysiological responses such as neuroinflammation have yet to be directly investigated. This paper examines the results of a pilot study that was established to investigate the relationship between visual exposure to biophilic design and neuroinflammation, as mediated by physiological stress responses. The pilot study utilised a 32-channel quantitative electroencephalograph (qEEG) to assess the relative changes in neuroinflammatory markers (relative alpha and relative delta power band activity) of 10 participants while they were exposed to 2D digital images of buildings that visually expressed varying degrees of biophilic design. Participants exhibited a decrease in relative delta power when exposed to higher levels of biophilic design. No statistically significant changes in relative alpha power were observed. These findings suggest that exposure to buildings with higher degrees of biophilia may result in decreased neuroinflammatory activity. In doing so, this research works to further develop our understanding of the complex ways in which the built environment impacts on occupant neuroinflammation and physiological stress.
... However, numerous gaps remain in the appraisal methods used for the perceptual response to fractal visual stimuli, and only a few studies have adopted physiological monitoring. Hägerhäll et al. (Hägerhäll, et al., 2008;Hägerhäll, Laike, Taylor, Küller, & Marcheschi, 2015) determined that viewing mid-D statistical fractals (opposite to the exact fractals of the same dimensions) yielded the most alpha EEG activity. Equally important, Rawls et al. (Rawls, White, Kane, Stevens, & Zabelina, 2021) utilized the EEG power spectral analysis of artistic and computer-generated fractals to investigate the relationships between complexity, preference, and EEG. ...
... In one of his experiments, 95% of the participants preferred fractal over non-fractal patterned artwork (Taylor, 2021). Moreover, the dependence of visual preference on complexity has been detected in statistical (Hägerhäll, et al., 2015; and exact (Bies, Blanc-Goldhammer, Boydston, Taylor, & Sereno, 2016) repetitions of fractal patterns. For statistical fractals, earlier investigations consistently found that people's preferences congregate within the fractal dimension range of 1.3-1.5 (Spehar, Rogowitz, Pappas, Taylor, & De Ridder, 2013;Taylor et al., 2005). ...
... Furthermore, the positive effect of fractal patterns on the psychology and physiology of subjects is deemed to be related to biophilia (Hägerhäll, et al., 2015;Hägerhäll, Purcell, & Taylor, 2004;Joye & van den Berg, 2011;Spehar et al., 2003). Fractal patterns dominate micro and macro structures in natural environments, contributing to the beauty of nature (Mandelbrot & Wheeler, 1983;Taylor, 2021). ...
Diffusive surfaces should be optimally designed for acoustic and aesthetic purposes. Fractals are commonly used to adapt to the parametric demands of interface design combining mathematical calculation and artistic creation. The author’s previous study proposed an improved fractal acoustic structure based on the Sierpinski-triangle building rule. However, there is insufficient research on quantifying the physiological and visual benefits of such fractal features. Focusing on fractal iteration and randomness of module arrangement as fractal parameters, this study investigates in 3D-virtual reality meeting rooms and identifies the influence of fractal diffusion structures on visual preferences and physiological responses. Variance analysis is used to construct models of fractal parameters, subjective preference factors, and physiological indicators. Results suggest that the Sierpinski-triangle pattern iterated twice with mid-high complexity (quantified by the fractal dimension D = 1.58) is significantly more visually preferred than other fractals. When the modules are at low randomness (quantified by P = 0.25), more random module arrangements elicited better beneficial outcomes. However, as the degree of randomness increased, effects became increasingly irregular. Subjective evaluation factors and physiological indicators show a strong correlation. To sum up, the use of the medium to mid-high complexity fractals in interior spaces would help enhance the visual preferences and stress relief of occupants.
... This processing fluency supports perceptions of high esthetic quality (Friedenberg et al., 2021) as well as peaks in task performance (Ferreira et al., 2012;Spehar et al., 2015;Juliani et al., 2016;Taylor et al., 2017;Burtan et al., 2021). In the same manner in which exposure to nature encourages positive psychological states (Ulrich, 1981;Kaplan and Kaplan, 1982;Kaplan and Kaplan, 1989;Ulrich et al., 1991;Kellert, 1993;Hagerhall et al., 2015) incorporation of fractal patterns into visual surroundings supports the biophilic hypothesis of a fundamental human need for connection to nature (Wilson, 1984). ...
... Across a robust body of research (Spehar et al., 2003;Bies et al., 2016a;Robles et al., 2020) as well as prevalence in artistic works (Taylor et al., 1999(Taylor et al., , 2007(Taylor et al., , 2018Taylor, 2003;Graham and Field, 2008;Graham and Redies, 2010;Viengkham and Spehar, 2018), fractal arrangements have demonstrated a high esthetic quality. Judgments of fractal preference closely follow variations in perceived pattern complexity, with those possessing exact repetition and symmetry encouraging a greater tolerance for objective complexity than those that repeat in a statistical manner more common throughout the natural world (Taylor et al., 2005;Taylor and Sprott, 2008;Taylor et al., 2011;Hagerhall et al., 2015;Bies et al., 2016a;Robles et al., 2020). Objective pattern complexity results from variations in the relative coarse-to-fine pattern structure determined by internal pattern factors such as variations in recursion (number of repetitions across scales) and complexity of fractal dimension "D-value" (the rate of pattern shrinkage between repetitions to quantify the ratio of fine structure). ...
... In an effort to minimize the higher rates of visual strain, headaches, and general stress associated with Euclidean surroundings, research has sought to integrate natural arrangements into humanmade spaces through the inclusion of fractal displays (Taylor and Sprott, 2008;Abboushi et al., 2019;Robles et al., 2021;Smith et al., 2020). Driven by the apparent ease with which the visual system is able to process these patterns (Hagerhall et al., 2008;Taylor and Spehar, 2016;Taylor et al., 2018), introduction of fractal designs into already existing structures can alter viewer perceptions of the space without impacting the function of the space as a whole (Taylor et al., 2005;Hagerhall et al., 2015). To better inform selection of effective installments, it is critical to understand how pattern characteristics alter viewer perception both in isolation and in non-natural spaces. ...
Imbuing the benefits of natural design into humanmade spaces, installations of fractal patterns have been employed to shape occupant experience. Previous work has demonstrated consistent trends for fractal judgments in the presence of design elements. The current study identifies the extent to which underlying pattern structure and perceptions of pattern complexity drive viewer judgments, and how response trends are altered with the incorporation of Euclidean context reminiscent of indoor spaces. This series of studies first establishes that pattern appeal, interest, naturalness, and relaxation have a fundamentally inverse relationship with perceptions of pattern complexity and that the presence of fractal structure contributes uniquely and positively to pattern perception. Subsequently, the addition of Euclidean structure establishes a discrete pattern boundary that alters fractal perceptions of interest and excitement but not the remaining judgments. The presence of consistent subpopulations, particularly those that contradict overarching perceptual trends is supported across studies, and further emphasizes the importance of adjusting pattern selection to consider the greatest number of possible viewers. Through informed pattern selection, designs can be installed to maximize desired experience of a space while minimizing negative impressions bound to arise in a minority of occupants. This set of studies demonstrates that through control of perceived pattern complexity and whether an emphasis is placed on pattern boundaries, fractal patterns can serve to establish predictable experiences of humanmade spaces in order to inject the benefits of nature into manufactured environments.
... Fractals are irregular geometric figures with features of self-similarity and scale invariance. The structure of a fractal object remains unchanged with the magnification in the image [61,[70][71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78]. A fractal dimension D characterizes fractal patterns by quantifying their complexity as a ratio of the change in detail to the change in scale. ...
... The aesthetic perception of fractals is different for exact and statistical fractals [65]. Hagerhall et al. [77], carrying out continuous recordings of the electroencephalogram (EEG), found that the EEG oscillations power in the alpha-band alters when a statistical fractal is transformed into its exact variant. Human visual processing improves when perceiving fractals with middle D values [74,87,88]. ...
... In quantitative EEG, amplification of the beta rhythm confirms that the viewer's attention is attracted by fractals D with a mean of 1.3 [78]. Moreover, the fractals with D = 1.3 induced the maximal EEG response increase in both alpha and beta ranges [77,78,80]. ...
Neuroplasticity-based stimulation therapy assists in restoring the visual system in neurodegenerative disorders. Scale-free fluctuations peculiar to healthy physiological rhythms disappear as the disease progresses. Fractal visual stimuli positively influence CNS plasticity and increase the efficiency of visual rehabilitation. To determine the effect of a lengthy course of fractal photostimulation (FS) on the electroretinogram (ERG) in healthy rabbits, a device for FS was created. For twelve healthy rabbits, 20-minute FS sessions were conducted once a day from 9 to 11 a.m., five times a week. Before and after 1, 4, and 12 weeks of FS, full-field ERGs, flicker ERGs, and the pattern-ERGs were registered. The observed positive impact of FS consisted of shortening peak latency of the maximal scotopic ERG b-wave and a significant increase in the amplitude of the cone ERG a- and b-waves and low-frequency flicker ERGs (p<0.05). For the first time, we describe the effect of FS on the ERG. The long-term FS does not impair retinal activity and can be safely used in the clinic. The dynamics of the positive influence of FS on retinal activity argue that the duration of the FS course of 1 to 4 weeks is optimal for subsequent studies.
... Fractals are comprised of self-similar patterns repeating across scale, with varying levels of recursion (number of repetitions across scales) and fractal dimension "D-value" (rate of pattern shrinkage between repetitions) that drive perceptions of pattern complexity by determining the relative contributions of coarse-to-fine structure for the overall pattern. Additionally, the nature of pattern repetition (occurring in either an exact or statistical manner) also impacts perceptions of pattern preference and complexity Taylor and Sprott, 2008;Hagerhall et al., 2015;Bies et al., 2016). The aesthetic quality of fractal patterns has been well observed (Spehar et al., 2003) and can be highlighted by its appearance in art (Taylor et al., 1999(Taylor et al., , 2018Graham and Field, 2008;Graham and Redies, 2010;Viengkham and Spehar, 2018). ...
... The "global-forest" patterns with D = 1.6 have already been installed into humanmade spaces in hopes of reducing occupant stress while increasing the aesthetic experience of the space. For patterns to successfully decrease stress levels, they must elicit lower physiological arousal and provide a restorative effect for attention (Hagerhall et al., 2015). Relaxation and refreshment coincide with lower levels of arousal whereas engagement requires elevated levels of arousal. ...
... Evaluations of Euclidean human-made space can be altered by integrating the aesthetics of nature Hagerhall et al., 2015). Increased time spent amongst unnatural Euclidean structures is associated with higher rates of visual strain, Conflict of Interest: SS, AL, and ML were employed by company 13&9 Design, Austria. ...
Highly prevalent in nature, fractal patterns possess self-similar components that repeat at varying size scales. The perceptual experience of human-made environments can be impacted with inclusion of these natural patterns. Previous work has demonstrated consistent trends in preference for and complexity estimates of fractal patterns. However, limited information has been gathered on the impact of other visual judgments. Here we examine the aesthetic and perceptual experience of fractal ‘global-forest’ designs already installed in humanmade spaces and demonstrate how fractal pattern components are associated with positive psychological experiences that can be utilized to promote occupant wellbeing. These designs are composite fractal patterns consisting of individual fractal ‘tree-seeds’ which combine to create a ‘global fractal forest.’ The local ‘tree-seed’ patterns, global configuration of tree-seed locations, and overall resulting ‘global-forest’ patterns have fractal qualities. These designs span multiple mediums yet are all intended to lower occupant stress without detracting from the function and overall design of the space. In this series of studies, we first establish divergent relationships between various visual attributes, with pattern complexity, preference, and engagement ratings increasing with fractal complexity compared to ratings of refreshment and relaxation which stay the same or decrease with complexity. Subsequently, we determine that the local constituent fractal (‘tree-seed’) patterns contribute to the perception of the overall fractal design, and address how to balance aesthetic and psychological effects (such as individual experiences of perceived engagement and relaxation) in fractal design installations. This set of studies demonstrates that fractal preference is driven by a balance between increased arousal (desire for engagement and complexity) and decreased tension (desire for relaxation or refreshment). Installations of these composite mid-high complexity ‘global-forest’ patterns consisting of ‘tree-seed’ components balance these contrasting needs, and can serve as a practical implementation of biophilic patterns in human-made environments to promote occupant wellbeing.
... Interestingly, neurons also use fractal geometry to enhance network connectivity (Smith et al., 2021). Research using electroencephalogram (EEG) recording has reported modulation in alpha oscillations in the frontal lobes and the highest beta oscillations in the parietal regions (Hagerhall et al., 2015). These findings indicate a complex interplay between neural networks when experiencing these patterns, and the outcomes have demonstrated both states of relaxation and elevated attention (Hagerhall et al., 2008(Hagerhall et al., , 2015. ...
... Research using electroencephalogram (EEG) recording has reported modulation in alpha oscillations in the frontal lobes and the highest beta oscillations in the parietal regions (Hagerhall et al., 2015). These findings indicate a complex interplay between neural networks when experiencing these patterns, and the outcomes have demonstrated both states of relaxation and elevated attention (Hagerhall et al., 2008(Hagerhall et al., , 2015. Other studies have found a reduction in physiological stress and enhanced rehabilitation when exposed to fractal patterns in art and architecture (Taylor et al., 2011;Vaz et al., 2020). ...
... Interestingly, neurons also use fractal geometry to enhance network connectivity (Smith et al., 2021). Research using electroencephalogram (EEG) recording has reported modulation in alpha oscillations in the frontal lobes and the highest beta oscillations in the parietal regions (Hagerhall et al., 2015). These findings indicate a complex interplay between neural networks when experiencing these patterns, and the outcomes have demonstrated both states of relaxation and elevated attention (Hagerhall et al., 2008(Hagerhall et al., , 2015. ...
... Research using electroencephalogram (EEG) recording has reported modulation in alpha oscillations in the frontal lobes and the highest beta oscillations in the parietal regions (Hagerhall et al., 2015). These findings indicate a complex interplay between neural networks when experiencing these patterns, and the outcomes have demonstrated both states of relaxation and elevated attention (Hagerhall et al., 2008(Hagerhall et al., , 2015. Other studies have found a reduction in physiological stress and enhanced rehabilitation when exposed to fractal patterns in art and architecture (Taylor et al., 2011;Vaz et al., 2020). ...
The human brain evolved in adaptive response to natural environments. However, urbanisation has led to the majority of humanity now living in cities, which differ profoundly from the landscape in which our species originated. At the same time, mental health conditions are increasing rapidly worldwide. Studies suggest that city living impacts brain function and structure, activates the stress response to a greater extent, and increases the risk of multiple mental health conditions. Recently, the close-to-nature concepts of biophilia and biophilic design have emerged as a potential approach to counteract these challenges. They may play a pivotal role in achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Here, we explore the potential of biophilic design to balance urban stressors, protect mental health and support sustainable living on a global scale.
... However, VA has also been heavily relied on to evaluate the health impacts of physical architecture (PA) [i.e., architectural designs which are both constructed using tangible materials and physically inhabitable] [16][17][18][19][20]. These health impacts include both physiological and psychological impacts, ranging from changes in mood and stress levels to elevated levels of neuroinflammatory activity [21][22][23]. There is some emerging evidence that PA may even increase the risk of developing neurodegenerative disorders [23]. ...
... These proxy studies have provided compelling evidence of a connection between isolated architectural features and physiological stress responses [18,21,24,26,28,69,94,98]. For example, studies examining the stress-reducing effects of architecture have illustrated the health benefits of visual exposure to features including biophilic architectural design (biophilic design refers to spatial designs which integrate live organic material [99]). ...
Virtual architecture has been increasingly relied on to evaluate the health impacts of physical architecture. In this health research, exposure to virtual architecture has been used as a proxy for exposure to physical architecture. Despite the growing body of research on the health implications of physical architecture, there is a paucity of research examining the long-term health impacts of prolonged exposure to virtual architecture. In response, this paper considers: what can proxy studies, which use virtual architecture to assess the physiological response to physical architecture, tell us about the impact of extended exposure to virtual architecture on human health? The paper goes on to suggest that the applicability of these findings to virtual architecture may be limited by certain confounding variables when virtual architecture is experienced for a prolonged period of time. This paper explores the potential impact of two of these confounding variables: multisensory integration and gravitational perception. This paper advises that these confounding variables are unique to extended virtual architecture exposure and may not be captured by proxy studies that aim to capture the impact of physical architecture on human health through acute exposure to virtual architecture. While proxy studies may be suitable for measuring some aspects of the impact of both physical and virtual architecture on human health, this paper argues that they may be insufficient to fully capture the unintended consequences of extended exposure to virtual architecture on human health. Therefore, in the face of the increasing use of virtual architectural environments, the author calls for the establishment of a subfield of neuroarchitectural health research that empirically examines the physiological impacts of extended exposure to virtual architecture in its own right.
... Потенциальная эффективность фрактальной стимуляции обосновывается в теории фрактальности ощущений, которая связывает характеристики нейронных сетей и функциональной активности мозга с критически важным опытом восприятия потоков нелинейной стимуляции в течение жизни [Zueva, 2015;Зуева, 2018]. Получены данные о том, что восприятие природоподобных, биофильных фракталов вызывает специфические изменения ЭЭГ, которые являются индикаторами расслабленного бодрствующего состояния [Hagerhall et al., 2015]. ...
... Изучение фрактального эстетического опыта в связи с особенностями восприятия и функционированием мозга вызывает все больший интерес. Выявлены психофизиологические и нейрофизиологические корреляты восприятия сложных фрактальных паттернов, такие как траектории движения глаз, электрическая проводимость кожи, характеристики электроэнцефалограммы [Hagerhall et al., 2008;Taylor et al., 2011;Hagerhall et al., 2015]. Обнаружены высокие корреляции между эстетическими предпочтениями и особенностями сенсорного кодирования стимулов, подтверждающие гипотезу авторов о роли визуальной чувствительности к восприятию определенного типа визуальных паттернов [Spehar et al., 2015]. ...
Фрактальная размерность, как показано в ряде исследований, тесно связана с параметрами восприятия самоподобных объектов. Изучались особенности восприятия фрактальных изображений. Проверялись предположения об устойчивости индивидуальных различий в субъективных оценках визуальной сложности, о влиянии генетических факторов на эстетические предпочтения при восприятии визуальных самоподобных стимулов. Использовался авторский метод (2013) исследования: испытуемые ранжировали 20 плоских изображений разной фрактальной размерности (от 1,086 до 1,751). Анализировались связи между объективными (фрактальная размерность) и субъективными оценками визуальной сложности и привлекательности стимулов. Испытуемые (N = 299) ранжировали стимулы: группа 1 – по критерию субъективной сложности, 175 человек, средний возраст 21,9 ± 3,29, повторно обследованы 55 человек; группа 2 – по критерию субъективной привлекательности, 124 человека, средний возраст 19 ± 1,45. В группе 2 определялись носители аллелей генов МАОА и DRD2. Результаты подтверждают гипотезы исследования: субъективные оценки визуальной сложности коррелируют с фрактальной размерностью и воспроизводятся при повторном тестировании; обнаружено (впервые) влияние полиморфизмов генов МАОА и DRD2 на эстетические предпочтения при восприятии визуальных фрактальных стимулов. Представляется обоснованным введение психологического конструкта «чувствительность к фрактальной размерности» при изучении вариативности восприятия визуальных фрактальных объектов.
... Фракталами называют геометрические паттерны, обладающие свойствами самоподобия и масштабной инвариантности. Эти свойства означают, что структура фрактального объекта остается неизменной при изменении масштаба (увеличении изображения) [19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. Фрактальная размерность D, впервые предложенная Бенуа Мандельбротом для описания сложных геометрических форм, количественно определяет сложность фрактальных паттернов [19]. ...
... Обработка зрительной информации у человека улучшается при просмотре фракталов со средними значениями D [22]. При этом отмечено, что фракталы с D = 1,3 индуцировали максимальное увеличение ответа ЭЭГ как в альфа-, так и в бета-диапазоне [24,25]. Индивидуальные различия в зрительном восприятии фрактальных объектов могут зависеть от генетических факторов [60]. ...
Purpose : to investigate the changes of electrophysiological activity of healthy rabbit retina occurring in courses of fractal stimulation (FS) of varied duration in order to obtain new scientific data on how fractal visual signals of low intensity, self-similar with respect to time, affect the retina.
Material and methods . 12 healthy Chinchilla rabbits (24 eyes), were examined before and after FS courses that lasted 1, 4 or 12 weeks, using electroretinographic (ERG), morphometric (optical coherence tomography) and biochemical methods (detection of dopamine in the tear). For FS of rabbits, a device with an LED emitter was developed, which generates nonlinear brightness fluctuation based on the Weierstrass — Mandelbrot fractal functions. The choice of fractal signal parameters used in the work was substantiated. Pattern ERG and ganzfeld ERG were registered according to ISCEV standards; also, photopic flicker ERG was recorded at 8.3, 10, 12, and 24 Hz.
Results . No negative effects of a 12-month FS course on the activity and morphology of the retina, or on dopaminergic processes in the eye of a healthy animal were found, which confirms the safety of using low-intensity FS in the clinic. A statistically significant increase in the amplitude of low-frequency flicker ERGs, a shortening of peak latency, and an increase in the amplitude of the b-wave of the scotopic and photopic ERGs was noted.
Conclusion. To assess possible therapeutic effects of FS, we need to continue the investigation on animal models and human patients with retinal pathology. Considering the changes of retinal activity as revealed in the present paper, we recommend the duration of FS courses from 1 week to 1 month for future studies.
... Some have even suggested that it is the spatial fractal patterning of nature that may be why processing natural stimulation is restorative. Researchers have found that statistical fractal patterns found in nature induce brain signals related to a wakefully relaxed state (Hagerhall et al., 2015). As such, the fractalness of natural scenes may have an optimal mix of variation and predictability to make them fluently processed, while still interesting enough to hold attention (Hagerhall et al., 2015). ...
... Researchers have found that statistical fractal patterns found in nature induce brain signals related to a wakefully relaxed state (Hagerhall et al., 2015). As such, the fractalness of natural scenes may have an optimal mix of variation and predictability to make them fluently processed, while still interesting enough to hold attention (Hagerhall et al., 2015). However, this study did not have a concomitant behavioral measure to show that these brain signals related to a relaxed state were actually related to improvements in performance, which is critical. ...
Environmental neuroscience is a field which uses multiple scales of analysis to elucidate the ways in which the physical environment interacts with neural processing to affect behavior. One environment that is heavily studied by environmental neuroscientists is the natural environment and how interacting with more natural environments (e.g., a city park) may benefit psychological functioning. This multidisciplinary environmental neuroscience approach examines processes and factors that vary across temporal and spatial scales. Most research studies examining the effects of interacting with natural environments on individuals’ neural processing and behavior fall into what we term meso-scale studies, which consist of real or simulated nature exposure on the order of minutes to hours. These are typically laboratory studies which attempt to quantify the effects of nature in an experimental setting. Macro-scale studies examine the effects of nature/green space exposure on people across large populations (e.g., a city) over long durations (e.g., on the order of years). These studies are typically observational but speak to the ecological validity of the meso-scale studies. Micro-scale studies tend to examine the specific elements of natural environments that may lead to the psychological benefits of interacting with nature, such as the low-level visual and acoustic features of nature and how perceiving those features may lead to cognitive benefits. Though immense progress has already been made in these domains, we propose that rapid advancements will be made through the increased use of methods that can span temporal and spatial scales and with more rigorous neuroimaging research, which may identify the neural mechanisms which drive these behavioral effects. We conclude with a brief discussion for how adopting an environmental neuroscience perspective can be of value to other fields of research, such as urban planning and environmental conservation.
... Several studies have quantified the psychological effects of specific geometric patterns, such as fractals, on stress reduction and cognitive engagement. Hägerhäll et al. [41] measured electroencephalograms (EEG) showing that exposure to fractal images with a mid-range fractal dimension (D = 1.3-1.5) significantly reduces stress. ...
The architecture in the title refers to physical buildings, spaces, and walls. Dominant architectural culture prefers minimalist environments that contradict the information setting needed for the infant brain to develop. Much of world architecture after World War II is therefore unsuitable for raising children. Data collected by technological tools, including those that use AI for processing signals, indicate a basic misfit between cognition and design. Results from the way AI software works in general, together with mobile robotics and neuroscience, back up this conclusion. There exists a critical research gap: the systematic investigation of how the geometry of the built environment influences cognitive development and human neurophysiology. While previous studies have explored environmental effects on health (other than from pathogens and pollutants), they largely focus on factors such as acoustics, color, and light, neglecting the fundamental role of spatial geometry. Geometrical features in the ancestral setting shaped neural circuits that determine human cognition and intelligence. However, the contemporary built environment consisting of raw concrete, plate glass, and exposed steel sharply contrasts with natural geometries. Traditional and vernacular architectures are appropriate for life, whereas new buildings and urban spaces adapt to human biology and are better for raising children only if they follow living geometry, which represents natural patterns such as fractals and nested symmetries. This study provides a novel, evidence-based framework for adaptive and empathetic architectural design.
... Thanks to the therapy with animals, social initiatives are increased, typical autistic behaviors are reduced and stress is reduced. In turn, Stigsdotter et al. (2011) Hägerhäll et al. (2015), who in their texts indicated the importance of appropriate prevention and therapy of autistic children using contact with animals. Temple Grandin et al. (2015) believe that for some people with ASD, animals can provide strong social support both as companions and companion animals. ...
The aim of the article was to present the development of agritourism farms in terms of providing therapeutic services for people with autism. The literature review concerned Polish and Ukrainian farms. Autism in children can also be treated through contact between patients and domestic and farm animals. Therapies involving animals are called zootherapy and can be carried out in care farms, and additionally in those where tourist recreation is possible i.e. agritourism farms. The article draws attention to the benefits of contact between children with autism spectrum disorders and animals. The study presents a case study from Poland.
... Natural environments are considered inherently enjoyable and preferred over built or urban settings (Kaplan, 1995;Ulrich, 1983;Wilson, 1984), which has some empirical support (e.g., Herzog et al., 2003;Kaplan et al., 1972;Van den Berg et al., 2003). Additionally, neuroscience research has demonstrated how exposure to nature decreases activation in stress-related regions of the brain (i.e., the amygdala; Sudimac et al., 2022), reduces rumination (Bratman et al., 2015), and shifts the brain to a low-effort state (Hägerhäll et al., 2015). Prior research has also demonstrated that individuals believe outdoor activities are the most useful for helping them recover from work stress (Korpela & Kinnunen, 2011). ...
Nature is considered a basic human need, with a large and growing body of literature demonstrating the advantages of exposure to nature and natural environments. Yet, this line of research has been largely disconnected from the organizational sciences, despite the widespread potential benefits that nature can have for employees. Emerging organizational scholarship has emphasized nature exposure in the work domain, and we argue that it is important for scholars to realize the relatively untapped potential of nonwork nature exposure for promoting positive employee outcomes. We integrate theories and research across environmental psychology and organizational science disciplines and introduce the nonwork nature and employee outcomes (NEO) model. The NEO model explicates how exposure to nature in the nonwork domain can impact employee outcomes related to health and well-being, job performance, job attitudes, and interpersonal interactions. Nonwork nature exposure is expected to exert a greater influence on employee outcomes than nature exposure at work and is theorized to enable a serial mediation process of facilitating recovery experiences (i.e., psychological detachment, relaxation, control, mastery), followed by the replenishment of potential energies (i.e., cognitive, emotional, physical, and prosocial energies), which in turn relate to employee outcomes. Key resources (i.e., perceptions of restorativeness) are presented as moderators. Macro resources (i.e., nature exposure at work, workplace benefits and support, physical safety, accessibility of nature, and culture) and other suggestions for future research are also discussed. The NEO model presents unique opportunities to advance interdisciplinary research, theory, and practice.
... However, when those mathematical patterns have variations, their ubiquity in nature becomes quite evident, such as with snowflakes, fern leaves, waves on a beach, flames in a fireplace, the dappled light under trees. These are statistical fractals, so common that when we see these patterns, even in human-designed objects, it is easy for the brain to process the image and measurably lower our stress level [21,22] This effect is called fractal fluency [23]. This is an example of Complexity & Order. ...
Biophilia is the theory that humans are innately connected to nature. As a basis for forming built space, biophilic design has been proven to reduce stress, improve cognition and enhance mood—it makes us happier. In the last 20 years, research in learning spaces has shown an association between biophilic design and student mood, calmness and improved standardized test scores. In 2019, a group of architects, scientists and educators led an experiment involving 6th-grade Math students at the Green Street Academy, which found that student stress was significantly reduced and learning significantly improved in a classroom enriched with biophilic strategies. The architects applied these strategies to the design of Bethel Hanberry Elementary School, and after a year of occupancy, an independent assessment found positive perceptions of the biophilic design, fewer behavior referrals, better teacher retention, lower absenteeism and improved test scores. In both a controlled research experiment and real-world application, the design of learning space, using biophilic strategies, has a significant impact.
... Restoration is the relaxed recovery of attention and cardiovascular parameters, that is, an effortless cognitive load, a positive initial affective response, or both. Bottom-up visual information (e.g., Hägerhäll et al., 2015;Kardan et al., 2015) activates affective and emotional processing, aligning with expectations and involves prefrontal cognitive functions (Joung et al., 2015), focusing attention and triggering endogenous reward expectations (Valtchanov and Ellard, 2015). The high restorativeness scores mentioned earlier (in particular, the Fascination subscale refers precisely to "the effortless and involuntary attention to the natural setting that is the key process to restore from mental fatigue") suggest this possible interpretation. ...
Introduction
It is known that exposure to the natural environment may positively modulate mental processes and behaviors; in particular, it can reduce stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. This suggests a potential integration of “nature experience” into the treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) since various types of addiction are associated with anxiety and depression. Considering that only one study has been reported to date in patients with alcohol use disorder, the effect of nature experience in SUD patients' needs to be further investigated. This study aimed to test the effects of exposure to a natural lagoon environment on craving and measures of wellbeing in SUD patients in comparison to exposure to an urban environment.
Methods
Twenty-four SUD patients were divided into three groups of eight participants and exposed to two walking sessions (interspersed with a 1-week wash-out period) in a natural environment typical of the Venetian lagoon, an Urban walk, or staying at the residential center based on a Latin-square design. Before and after each session, drug craving, mood, wellbeing, agency, openness to the future, and restorativeness were assessed.
Results
The Nature walk significantly decreased craving in participants compared to their pre-walk values, and compared to craving after the Urban walk, with the latter significantly increased vs. pre-walk values. The Nature walk significantly decreased negative mood and increased wellbeing and agency. Openness to the future and restorativeness measures showed significant improvement after the Nature walk compared to the Urban walk. On the other hand, craving scores after the Urban Walk positively correlated with negative mood and a Sense of Negative Agency values and negatively correlated with wellbeing scores.
Discussion
Our results confirm that “nature experience” may improve mood, wellbeing, attention, stress relief, openness, and sense of being active in SUD patients. Moreover, we also showed a specific effect on drug craving—a key symptom of SUD.
... An increasing number of studies have investigated the therapeutic effects of fractal patterns on the human brain. Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and other measurements of physiological stress, some researchers have found that observing fractals can reduce stress levels by 60% [45], suggesting that they activate certain brain areas responsible for stress regulation. Additionally, when viewing fractals, physiological resonance occurs within the eye, increasing alpha wave frequency in frontal brain areas, promoting relaxation and a sense of well-being [46]. ...
Psychedelic therapy is increasingly acknowledged as a transformative approach to mental health care, much like how Virtual Reality (VR) technology has emerged as a potent tool in the realm of mental health. Hence, there is potential for integrating the benefits derived from both. This review aims to assess the current state of the art concerning the utilization of VR and psychedelic simulations for treating psychological disorders. The findings clarify the potential of an emerging treatment: the simulation of psychedelic states through Virtual Reality. This treatment has been shown to improve cognitive flexibility and executive functions and, as a result, could be used to prevent conditions such as mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Furthermore, this treatment facilitates the activation of other constructs in the subject, such as creativity, joy, pleasure, and relaxation, which can act as mediators in the treatment of various psychopathological disorders. This review attempts to broaden knowledge regarding the simulation of psychedelic states through Virtual Reality, exposing the results in a clinical setting and highlighting the need for further studies.
... The results showed that fractal images quantified by D = 1.3 induce the largest changes in participants' alpha and beta responses [27]. Intriguingly, these responses were dampened when the images were morphed from the statistical to exact versions ( Fig.45.1), emphasizing the adaptation of processing fluency to nature's biophilic fractals [28,29]. ...
People are continually exposed to the rich complexity generated by the repetition of fractal patterns at different size scales. Fractals are prevalent in natural scenery and also in patterns generated by artists and mathematicians. In this chapter, we will investigate the powerful significance of fractals for the human senses. In particular, we propose that fractals with mid-range complexity play a unique role in our visual experiences because the visual system has adapted to these prevalent natural patterns. This adaptation is evident at multiple stages of the visual system, ranging from data acquisition by the eye to processing of this data in the higher visual areas of the brain. Based on these results, we will discuss a fluency model in which the visual system processes mid-complexity fractals with relative ease. This fluency optimizes the observer’s capabilities (such as enhanced attention and pattern recognition) and generates an aesthetic experience accompanied by a reduction in the observer’s physiological stress levels. In addition to reviewing people’s responses to viewing fractals, we will compare these responses to recent research focused on fractal sounds and fractal surface textures. We will extend our fractal fluency model to allow for stimuli across multiple senses.
... The presentation of these shapes becomes more complex over the course of the experience, often replicating each shape at different scales, and merging multiple shapes with different colours to form complex visual patterns. Complexity is adjusted over the course of the experience to sustain interest and manage fatigue (Hagerhall et al. 2015) (Fig. 1a). Slow tempo (50 BPM) calming music was used to encourage increased relaxation and set the conditions for restoration and meditative practice (Baldwin and Lewis 2017). ...
The restorative and mental state enhancing effects of brief mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) and restorative environments such as nature has been supported in the research literature. However, regular adoption of these practices is limited by practical constraints and motivational barriers. The current study addressed these challenges by introducing two novel approaches which utilise the immersive and interactive qualities of virtual reality (VR). This included an interactive MBI and an abstract restorative environment using fractal-like imagery. These approaches were explored using a comparative evaluation of two short (6 min) VR interventions: Passive VR (applying principles from restorative interventions) and Interactive VR (implementing a focused attention form of mindfulness meditation). A mixed methods approach revealed increased state mindfulness, reduced mental fatigue, and enhanced aspects of mood (calm/relaxation, anxiety) consistently between conditions. Between group differences revealed additional benefits for cognition (focus), mood (happiness and sadness), and motivational value with the interactive intervention. The abstract environment, used in both interventions, maintained comparable levels of perceived restoration with a nature VR control condition. The results provide preliminary evidence supporting the use of interactive approaches for mindfulness interventions and abstract versions of restorative environments.
... Long term exposure to natural settings reduces crime rates (Kuo & Sullivan, 2001). EEG (Electroencephalography) studies involving perception of images with fractal stimulation similar to nature allows the brain to go in a low-effort state (Hagerhall et al., 2015). Studies done on non-human species show that group of neurons found in the retina have the ability to encode information for natural settings differently than that of an artificial setting (Tkačik et al., 2015). ...
The following research is a review paper to determine what neurobiological changes occur during ecotherapy that impacts our behavior and what are its implications over urbanization. The research utilizes the selection of relevant literature across databases on the basis of their applicability in Indian context and publication date not exceeding beyond 10 years. The analysis of the 11 research articles reviewed reveals that the practice of ecotherapy has the positive impact on the brain by improving cognitive functions, attention span, inducing more relaxation and emotional wellness on a physiological level. Urbanization, on the other hand, has been documented to negatively impact cognitive function, response behavior, attentional tasks and metabolic processes due to excessive exposure to urban determinants. Therefore it can be concluded that eco therapeutic interventions can have positive impact and elicit improvement in psychological and physiological determinants of health and well-being.
... Found that fractal dimensions provoke stronger physiological responses, many of which indicate stress relief. 7 Hägerhäll et al. ...
This paper focuses on the relationship between Mental Health and the Landscape. It aims to find out how people respond to Biophilic inspired landscape design in a healthcare setting. The focal point is not to cure diseases but to help them deal with the physiological, psychological, and psycho-social imbalance and provide a healing environment for the overall well-being of an individual. For this study, a Multispecialty Hospital was selected where an Indoor Healing Garden is used as a retrofitting tool to reduce stress and thus reconnect humans with nature. A multi-method approach is being used for this study. Initially, a questionnaire was conducted for the targeted users categorized into three types – patients, staff, and visitors to know their longing for the landscape. Based on this data and available literature, an evidence-based design was proposed. This conceptual design model is then shown to the targeted user and the response is recorded. The data has then collaborated with similar studies done earlier and design elements are highlighted which helps in creating a restorative environment by reducing stress and increasing recovery rate and thus approaching sustainable development.
... Finally, as we mentioned, we found significant changes in some nonlinear EEG parameters associated with emotional perception [5,28] both in healthy individuals and patients with mental or neurological diseases. In particular, previous studies demonstrated that higher HFD was associated with different emotional states, including affect, fear, happiness, sadness, and empathy [5,26,28,63,64]. The dynamics of Hjorth's complexity were previously contributed to unpleasant emotions such as irritation [5,28]; the decrease of this parameter during emotional auditory perception was more typical for individuals with mental and neurological disorders than for healthy subjects [3,5,65]. ...
Objective
The acoustic stimulation in consciousness patients may improve the diagnosis assessment and the effectiveness of rehabilitation procedures. We aimed to investigate the event-related potential (ERP) response to emotional auditory stimuli in comatose patients.
Methods
We measured the nonlinear and linear electroencephalogram (EEG) features, prepared the acoustic analysis of stimuli parameters, and assessed the subjective emotional rates of stimuli characteristics.
Results
Patients with better outcomes had recognizable ERP responses and significant changes of the nonlinear EEG features to emotional sounds, unlike patients with worse outcomes. The response of comatose patients was attributed to acoustical features of emotional sounds, whereas the EEG response of healthy subjects was associated with their subjective feelings. The comatose patients demonstrated the variable EEG activity for neutral and emotional sounds.
Conclusion
Thus, the EEG reactivity followed the better outcome of comatose patients to emotional stimuli. The study assumed the substantial differences of emotional stimuli perception in the healthy and unconscious brain.
... More generally, fractal patterns have a positive relationship with aesthetic perception of the environment (Marchand et al., 2014;Weinberger et al., 2021;Zhang et al., 2018). Studies using EEG have found that fractal patterns evoke increase in both in parietal beta frequency and in frontal alpha frequency, which are indicative of increased attention and wakeful relaxation respectively (Hagerhall et al., 2008(Hagerhall et al., , 2015. This may also partially explain the restorative effects of green environments, for example the mere presence of an indoor plant, or office window looking out at nature is associated with significantly less stress than their counterparts lacking botanical decor, with a view of a more plain cityscape, in healthcare, workplace or residential settings (Ulrich, 1984;Chang and Chen, 2005;Olszewska-Guizzo et al., 2018) The aesthetic qualities of architectural and urban environments are inextricably linked with human experience. ...
This paper reports on an online study to investigate the interaction between the environment typology, and crowdedness with aesthetic perceptions of the environment.
... Perception shapes human actions and, in turn, the willingness of people to support, for instance, environmental management strategies (Kueffer & Kull, 2017;Lumber et al., 2017). Perception is an interaction between people and their surroundings that can change, connect inexorably to the observer's cognition, and immerse them in the environment they are experiencing (Hagerhall et al., 2015). Issues related to perceptions of protected natural environments include whether impacts are recognised, the subjective importance of the impacts, and the acceptability or otherwise of evaluating the impacts (Kormos et al., 2017;Shelby et al., 1988). ...
Large wild areas are important for both nature conservation and nature‐based recreation. Information on the reciprocal relationships between recreators and the environments in which they recreate can help both conservation and recreation management. We considered motivations, perceptions, environmental concerns, and social concerns among flyfishers who recreate within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area on the Central Plateau of Tasmania, Australia. Using semi‐structured interviews with 27 participants, we established that they were motivated by a love of nature, desire for experience, escapism, connection, and challenge. On the basis of motivations and attitudes, we discriminated four groups of flyfishers: “social” (those who fish with friends), “trophy” (lone fishers who are goal‐oriented), “outdoor enthusiast” (those who enjoy the outdoor experience, fishing optional), and “hunter‐gatherer” (those prepared to travel long distances for catch). Nonetheless, all groups perceived environmental and social problems related to fishing and visitation behaviours, from littering to climate change. Fishers perceived environmental problems included identifying exotic weeds and pests but did not specifically include trout as a pest, despite their exotic status and adverse effects on native ecosystems. However, flyfishers were aware of most of their impacts and were willing to help mitigate them. Such insight is significant for geographers and those in associated disciplines and professions seeking to manage wild protected areas. Profiles of Central Plateau (Tasmania) flyfishers, charting their motivations for visiting and fishing in this wild area and their social and environmental concerns about this protected area.
... Joye and Van den Berg (2011) criticized the assumptions stated in SRT and ART because also exposure to natural environments which do not support survival have been shown to be restorative. They suggest a Perceptual Fluency Account (PFA) (Joye & Van den Berg, 2011) which explains the benefits of nature exposure by arguing that natural stimuli consist of features (e.g., some types of fractal patterns, Hagerhall et al., 2015) that are processed fluently and effortlessly. Such ease processing of features on nature is assumed to be accompanied with positive affective responses (Winkielman & Cacioppo, 2001). ...
Exposure to natural environments promotes positive psychological effects. Experimental studies on this issue typically have not been able to distinguish the contributions of top-down processes from stimulus-driven bottom-up processing. We tested in an online study whether mental imagery (top-down processing) of restorative natural environments would produce positive psychological effects, as compared with restorative built and non-restorative urban environments. The participants (n = 70) from two countries (Finland and Norway) imagined being present in different environments for 30 s, after which they rated their subjective experiences relating to vividness of imagery, relaxation, emotional arousal, valence (positivity vs. negativity) of emotions, and mental effort. In addition, a psychometric scale measuring vividness of imagination, a scale measuring nature connectedness, and a questionnaire measuring preference of the imagined environments were filled-in. Imagery of natural environments elicited stronger positive emotional valence and more relaxation than imagery of built and urban environments. Nature connectedness and preference moderated these effects, but they did not fully explain the affective benefits of nature. Scores in a psychometric imagery scale were associated in consistent way to the subjective ratings in the imagery task, suggesting that the participants performed attentively and honestly in reporting their subjective experiences. We conclude that top-down factors play a key role in the psychological effects of nature. A practical implication of the findings is that inclusion of natural elements in imagery-based interventions may help to increasing positive affective states.
... This ease of processing the natural environment is assumed to elicit both positive affect and efficient attention restoration. On the one hand, experimental studies using com-puter-generated and natural stimuli varying in their fractal characteristics showed connections with stated preferences and with relaxation as measured in EEG responses (Hägerhäll et al., 2004(Hägerhäll et al., , 2015. On the other hand, Menzel and Reese (2022) found no support for the predictions of the PFA on restoration in phase-scrambled nature images. ...
We present an overview of the evidence of how nature benefits mental health, popular theories used to explain the effects, and the development potential of these theories. A large body of evidence highlights the beneficial effects of nature on mental health, with observed outcomes ranging from alleviating the symptoms of psychiatric disorders to improvements in cognitive abilities. The theoretical backbone for these salutary effects of nature consists of a set of models, mainly the attention restoration theory (ART), the stress reduction theory (SRT), and the Biophilia hypothesis. However, these high-level models are only loosely related and lack a pronounced biopsychological basis. While biopsychological measurements have been used widely in recent years, these efforts have not sufficiently been reflected in theories aiming to explain the benefits of nature contact for mental health. This paper seeks to encourage interdisciplinary work and further theory development to guide both research and practice toward strategically green and healthy living conditions.
... Kaplan, 1995, Ulrich, 2002, Hartig, 2011, Hagerhall et al., 2015 تا بیانگر ) هحایظ هالحؾاِ لبثل ٍ هخجت حیطات ٍ ّاب ا ٍ ثْجَزهحیظ ّبی ثبظیبثٌسُ تٌْب هفَْم « ثبظیبثی » ًوی تَلیس ضا و ٌٌس ثلىِ ثؿتطی ثطای اضتمبء آى ًیع فطاّن هی وٌٌس . ثٌبثطایي زض تقطیف یاه « هحایظ ثبظیبثٌسُ » هی تَاى گفت وِ ؛ ضٍاًكٌ هٌبثـ تٌْب ًِ ًوی لطاض فكبض تحت ضا افطاز بذتی فلت ثِ ثلىِ زّس ٍیػگی ّبی هخجتف لبزض اؾت ثِ گًَاِ ای ؾطیـ تط ٍ وبهل تط فطآیٌس ثبظیبثی هٌبثـ تحلیل ضفت ِ ضا اهىبى پصیط ؾبظز .( ...
... Joye and Van den Berg [55,56] criticized the theoretical standpoints based on the evolutionary theory views, as empirical studies showed that most natural environments, including those not supporting survival as deserts and icy mountains, are perceived as positive (e.g., see [57]). The authors proposed the theory of Perceptual Fluency Account (PFA), based on the idea that some features typical of natural environments (e.g., certain types of fractals, see [58,59]) are processed by the human brain more effortlessly, and this may explain the positive effects of these environments. In recent years some authors (see e.g., [60,61]) have proposed new theories to further develop or challenge those mentioned above, focusing on the aspects connected to the social features and meanings of natural environments. ...
Virtual reality systems are increasingly being used for the enhancement of human health. One of the most popular applications of
virtual reality technology over the past few years has been for
the management of stress in both the clinical and general population. Recently published research has shown the viability and
acceptability of the use of virtual reality for such purposes. Natural
environments have been largely employed in virtual environments
aimed to promote stress reduction, for their widely studied and
established ability to regulate stress and promote well-being. The
present article aims to summarize novel research on the topic. Furthermore, the present work will attempt to underline important
progress in the research field of VR-mediated promotion of wellbeing and individuate prospective directions to further help the
development of the scientific field, with a focus both on theoretical
and practical matters.
... Numerous methods were employed to measure the complexity of visual images, i.e., the size of image files [24], the compression rate of image files [25], entropy [26], color hue variation [27], and fractal dimension [28], to name a few. Among them, fractal dimension has been proven to have a significant correlation with human visual cognition [29,30]. Fractal dimension is a statistical parameter in the theory of fractal geometry [31], it measures how complex a pattern is, in another word, the space-filling ability of the pattern. ...
In this study, a fractal dimension-based method has been developed to compute the visual complexity of the heterogeneity in the built environment. The built environment is a very complex combination, structurally consisting of both natural and artificial elements. Its fractal dimension computation is often disturbed by the homogenous visual redundancy, which is textured but needs less attention to process, so that it leads to a pseudo-evaluation of visual complexity in the built environment. Based on human visual perception, the study developed a method: fractal dimension of heterogeneity in the built environment, which includes Potts segmentation and Canny edge detection as image preprocessing procedure and fractal dimension as computation procedure. This proposed method effectively extracts perceptually meaningful edge structures in the visual image and computes its visual complexity which is consistent with human visual characteristics. In addition, an evaluation system combining the proposed method and the traditional method has been established to classify and assess the visual complexity of the scenario more comprehensively. Two different gardens had been computed and analyzed to demonstrate that the proposed method and the evaluation system provide a robust and accurate way to measure the visual complexity in the built environment.
... Richard Taylor, physicist and abstract expressionist artist, leads an interdisciplinary research network at the University of Oregon that investigates the positive physiological changes that occur when people look at fractals-specifically the fractals in Jackson Pollack paintings, which the group verified mimic fractals in nature (Taylor, Micholich, & Jonas, 1999;Taylor, Micholich, & Jonas, 2002). Their experiments over time have used eye-tracking equipment, quantitative electroencephelograpy (qEEG), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity when viewing fractals (Hagerhall et al., 2015;Hagerhall et al., 2008;Spehar & Taylor, 2013;Taylor, 2006;Taylor et al., 2011). Taylor's (2016) group found that when people look at a specific form of fractal found in nature and reproduced in art, stress levels go down by as much as 60%, perhaps because of physiological resonance between the fractal structure of the visual system and the fractal image. ...
Biological and artificial intelligence (BI and AI) share the fundamental principles of space-time information processing based on symmetry transformation. Therefore, cognitive-science-inspired AI represents a promising area of exploration. A convincing example is the fractal structure of human languages and protein assembly. The temporal and spatial plasticity of biological processes links them to the basic laws of physics. Continuous advances in fundamental physical theories allow for the understanding of all aspects of space-time symmetry (STS) natively intertwined with the principles of relativity and causality. Spatial aspects of symmetry, represented by three sub-domains such as chirality, fractality, and topology, are widely studied in biology. The role of chirality in biology has been analyzed in several recent reviews. However, the fractals and topological states of biological structures are a relatively new and fast-developing branch of science. Here, we trace publications exploring the role of fractal symmetry in all hierarchical states of biological organization, including at the molecular, cellular, morphological, physiological, perceptual, cognitive, and psychological levels. The coverage of the above-listed areas in current studies is sharply unequal and unsystematic. A broad view of biological fractality opens a unique opportunity to discriminate between a healthy state and a wide range of disease conditions. Psychiatric, neurological, and immune disorders are associated with aberrant molecular assembly and morphological changes in neural circuits, suggesting that the chain of chirality/fractality transfer through all levels of physiological organization deserves persistent attention.
Biophilic design (BD) is defined as a design approach that promotes human-nature connectedness (HNC) in the built environment (BE), resulting in a significant impact on human health, well-being, and productivity, in addition to several economic, social, and environmental benefits. This study presents a critical analysis of the most important proposed frameworks and strategies for the application of BD from 2008 to 2022 to identify points of confusion and weaknesses and try to avoid them. The study concluded by presenting a Four-Component Framework as a new architectural translation that seeks to facilitate the application of BD in the design of the BE to achieve the benefits of HNC. The proposed framework focuses on separating the elements of nature from the methods in which these elements are used, from the desired experiences from the BD's intended goals. As a result of this separation, architects and designers may find that by applying this framework, the application of BD becomes easier, more tangible, and unambiguous.
Objective: This scoping review aims to investigate the complex interplay between the built environment, health, and well-being and to provide a comprehensive overview of the knowledge needed for crucial health and well-being enhancement in cities. Method: A scoping review method has been chosen using four databases. The first sample was reduced from 2819 papers to 71 papers by implementing exclusion criteria, snowballing, and direct searches to find a relevant final sample. Results: Built environmental elements such as the neighborhood, urban architecture, activities, public spaces, greenery, lights, safety, aesthetics, and amenities were identified to be impactful on health and well-being outcomes. The two-way association of each environmental factor and its criteria with specific types of health and well-being issues such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, stress, etc. was determined to identify solutions and ways for improvement. Conclusions: This scoping review provides a comprehensive overview of the intricate interplay between the built environment, health, and well-being. By synthesizing existing knowledge of the built environmental factors, it explores the basis for evidence-based strategies to enhance health and well-being. By illuminating theoretical knowledge of the built environment on health and well-being, our findings will provide a deeper foundation of sources and practical insights for related fields.
Office environments play a critical role in employee wellbeing and productivity. While the benefits of incorporating nature into workspaces have been recognized, the specific visual characteristics that contribute to restorativeness remain unclear. This study investigates how visual characteristics of office environments, specifically the presence of greenery and color complexity, are associated with perceived restorativeness. In Study 1, we developed a scale based on Attention Restoration Theory to measure the restorative characteristics of office environments, consisting of three subscales: Being Away, Fascination, and Extent. In Study 2, we used this scale to examine the correlation between the restorative characteristics of offices and the visual properties of office photographs. The results showed that the square root of the percentage of green area, the color fractal dimension, and the brightness fractal predicted perceived restorativeness. Notably, the color fractal dimension often showed a stronger effect than the amount of greenery per se. These findings suggest that both the presence of greenery and the overall complexity of color transitions in office spaces contribute to their restorative potential. Our study provides insights for designing more restorative office environments, emphasizing the importance of not only increasing greenery but also mimicking natural color patterns. The predictive model developed provides a practical tool for estimating the restorative potential of office designs. Although there are limitations such as the use of photographic assessments and the inability to fully explain the Extent component of restorativeness, this study contributes to our understanding of how to create more psychologically supportive work environments.
Green space matters for mental health but is under constant pressure in an increasingly urbanising world. Often there is little space available in cities for green areas, so it is vital to optimise the design and usage of these available green spaces. To achieve this, experts in planning, design and nature conservation need to know which types and characteristics of green spaces are most beneficial for residents' mental health.
A scoping review of studies that compare different green space types and characteristics on mental health was conducted. A total of 215 (experimental, observational and qualitative) papers were included in the scoping review.
This review highlights a high level of heterogeneity in study design, geographical locations, mental health outcomes and green space measures. Few of the included studies were specifically designed to enable direct comparisons between green space types and characteristics (e.g. between parks and forests). The included studies have predominantly experimental research designs looking at the effects of short‐term exposure to green space on short‐term mental health outcomes (e.g. affect and physiological stress). More studies enabled only indirect comparisons, either within the same study or between different studies.
Analysis of the direction of the mental health outcomes (positive, neutral, negative) from exposure to various types and characteristics of green space found positive (i.e. beneficial) effects across all green space types. However, green space characteristics did appear to render more diverse effects on mental health, which is especially the case for vegetation characteristics (e.g. higher vegetation density can be negative for mental health).
The scoping review reveals gaps in the present evidence base, with a specific need for more studies directly comparing green space types and characteristics within the same study. Proposed future research directions include the use of longitudinal research designs focusing on green space characteristics, considering actual exposure and systematically addressing heterogeneity in factors influencing the relation between green spaces and mental health (e.g. type of interaction, user experience).
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Görsel çevre, kentliyi ve kenti ziyaret eden kullanıcıları yönlendiren ve etkileyen bir kentsel bileşendir. Özellikle turizm potansiyeli yüksek alanlarda görsellerden yola çıkarak kentsel tasarıma yönelik analizler yürütmek fiziksel kararlar açısından bir gerekliliktir. Bilgisayar destekli görüntü işleme teknolojisinde yaşanan gelişmeler sayesinde öne çıkan görsel karmaşıklık analizi ile sunulan görsellerin ölçülebilir değerlerinin hesaplanması mümkündür. Görsel karmaşıklığın değerlendirilmesinde kullanılan en yaygın yöntemlerden biri ise fraktal geometri tabanlı analizlerdir. Araştırmada tarihi ve sosyo-kültürel pek çok değeri ile ziyaretçi potansiyelinin yüksek olduğu Eskişehir Odunpazarı ilçesinden üç farklı cazibe bölgesi (Adalar, Bulvar ve Müzeler) ele alınarak, yapılı çevrelerinin karmaşıklık değerlendirmelerinde fraktal boyutu ortaya koymak amaçlanmaktadır. Bölgelerden seçilen 60 sokak görüntüsü için ilk olarak ön işleme yapılmıştır. Böylece, görüntülerdeki algısal olarak anlamlı kenar yapıları etkili bir şekilde ortaya çıkarılmıştır. Ardından, görüntülerin fraktal heterojenlik boyutu (FDH: fractal dimension of heterogeneity) ve dokunun fraktal boyutu (FDT: fractal dimension of texture) yöntemleri ile görsel karmaşıklık düzeyi ölçülmüştür. Yöntemde FDH görüntülerin heterojenlik boyutunu (Dv), FDT ise dokuların heterojenlik boyutunu [Dv(s)] temsil etmektedir. Elde edilen görsel karmaşıklık değerleri, dört farklı çeyrekten oluşan karmaşıklık matrisi ile değerlendirilmiştir. Adalar bölgesinde Dv değerleri 1,51-1,70 arasındayken, Dv(s) değerleri ise 1,62-1,76 arasında değişmektedir. Bulvar bölgesinde Dv değerleri 1,50-1,69 arasında değişim gösterirken, Dv(s) değerleri 1,54-1,78 arasında ölçülmüştür. Müzeler bölgesinde ise görüntülerin Dv değerleri 1,47-1,75 arasında değişim gösterirken, Dv(s) değerleri 1,52-1,74 arasındadır. Araştırma sonucunda, Adalar bölgesinin diğer alanlardan daha karmaşık bir tasarıma sahip olduğuna ulaşılmıştır. Bu sonuç ise Adalar bölgesinin görsel zenginlik açısından ziyaretçiler için daha çekici ve heyecan verici bir kentsel alan olduğunu göstermektedir. Çalışma, görsel mekânsal algı bağlamında yapılı çevrelerin nicel olarak değerlendirilmesinde FDH-FDT yönteminin etkili bir sistematik araç olabileceğini göstermektedir.
This article reviews current research in visual urban perception. The temporal sequence of the first few milliseconds of visual stimulus processing sheds light on the historically ambiguous topic of aesthetic experience. Automatic fractal processing triggers initial attraction/avoidance evaluations of an environment’s salubriousness, and its potentially positive or negative impacts upon an individual. As repeated cycles of visual perception occur, the attractiveness of urban form affects the user experience much more than had been previously suspected. These perceptual mechanisms promote walkability and intuitive navigation, and so they support the urban and civic interactions for which we establish communities and cities in the first place. Therefore, the use of multiple fractals needs to reintegrate with biophilic and traditional architecture in urban design for their proven positive effects on health and well-being. Such benefits include striking reductions in observers’ stress and mental fatigue. Due to their costs to individual well-being, urban performance, environmental quality, and climatic adaptation, this paper recommends that nontraditional styles should be hereafter applied judiciously to the built environment.
Environmental neuroscience is an emerging field devoted to the scientific study of brain-mediated, bidirectional relationships between organisms and their social and physical environments. A key feature of environmental neuroscience is the rigorous quantification of environmental features that affect the brain and subsequent behavior. In addition, environmental neuroscience considers factors that vary across multiple temporal and spatial scales that interact to produce behavior (e.g., synapses, neural circuits, cognition, local social interactions, citywide social interactions, citywide physical structures). Environmental neuroscientists then measure the spatial and temporal dynamics of the interactions between different levels of analysis. For example, we demonstrate through hierarchical systems theory and mathematical modeling how interacting with urban greenspace may reduce psychopathology via improvements in neurocognitive functioning, which, in turn, may increase social interactions. This example illustrates how different levels of analysis (e.g., neurocognitive factors, the physical environment, and the social environment) may be combined to understand behavior in novel ways. In addition, we advocate for the collection of data across these scales and measuring their interactions, which will generate rich data sets that will continue to yield insights as new ways to model these complex multilevel systems are developed. We believe that examining all of these levels of analysis at different temporal and spatial scales in addition to modeling their relationships will lead to advances in understanding behavior.
Cities change and are transformed over time due to economic, social and political decisions, and this process can have either a positive or a negative effect on the visual aesthetic quality of the streets and avenues. The preservation and improvement of the visual aesthetic qualities of the streets and avenues ensures the sustainability of the visual character of the city, improves the quality of life, and also encourages collective identity, a sense of belonging, and strong urban images. It is suggested that the factors affecting visual aesthetic quality should be determined in order to improve the visual aesthetic quality of streets and avenues. This study assesses the effects of the change and transformation processes occurring in Ankara - Ulus and Kızılay city centers, as well as the effects on their immediate surroundings in terms of the visual aesthetic quality of streets and avenues. Furthermore, the factors affecting the visual aesthetic quality of streets and avenues are questioned through the use of a model in which both quantitative and qualitative research methods are used comparatively with historical and current street images. The results of the study show that by comparing street images from different periods, important clues can be obtained in regard to the factors affecting the visual aesthetic quality of urban spaces.
It has been suggested that aesthetically pleasing stimuli are processed efficiently by the visual system, whereas uncomfortable stimuli are processed inefficiently. This study consists of a series of three experiments investigating this idea using a range of images of abstract artworks, photographs of natural scenes, and computer-generated stimuli previously shown to be uncomfortable. Subjective judgements, and neural correlates were measured using EEG (steady-state visual evoked potentials, SSVEPs). In addition, global image statistics (contrast, Fourier amplitude spectral slope and fractal dimension) were taken into account. When effects of physical image contrast were controlled, fractal dimension predicted discomfort judgements, suggesting the SSVEP response is more likely to be influenced by distribution of edges than the spectral slope. Importantly, when effects of physical contrast and fractal dimension were accounted for using linear mixed effects modelling, SSVEP responses predicted subjective judgements of images. Specifically, when stimuli were not matched for perceived contrast, there was a positive relationship between SSVEP responses and how pleasing a stimulus was judged to be, and conversely a negative relationship between discomfort and SSVEP response. This is significant as it shows that the neural responses in early visual areas contribute to the subjective (un)pleasantness of images, although the results of this study do not provide clear support for the theory of efficient coding as the cause of perceived pleasantness or discomfort of images, and so other explanations need to be considered.
People tend to find natural environments more aesthetically appealing and restorative than human-made or built environments. It is widely assumed that this natural-built distinction in environmental preference and restoration stems to a large extent from bottom-up sensory processing of intrinsic characteristics of nature that may have signaled adaptive values during human evolution. This view of nature as a unique, irreplaceable source of health and well-being has motivated the greening of cities and other initiatives to reconnect people with nature. But how strong is the empirical support for a bottom-up account of positive responses to nature? This chapter critically reviews the empirical evidence in view of alternative explanations in terms of top-down influences of culturally transmitted views and personally learned positive experiences with nature. It is tentatively concluded that the available empirical evidence appears to be in favor of top-down, rather than bottom-up, accounts of the natural-built distinction in both environmental preferences and restorative effects. In accordance with recent insights relating to the immune system regulating functions of direct physical contact with nature, the chapter concludes with suggestions for future research focusing on top-down, resilience-building experiences with nature.
ARCTT is a peer-reviewed all-purpose journal covering a wide variety of topics of interest to the mental health, neuroscience, and rehabilitation communities. The mission of ARCTT is to provide systematic, periodic examinations of scholarly advances in the field of CyberTherapy and Telemedicine through original investigations in the telemedicine and cybertherapy areas, novel experimental clinical studies, and critical authoritative reviews.
It is directed to healthcare providers and researchers who are interested in the applications of advanced media for improving the delivery and efficacy of mental healthcare and rehabilitative services. www.arctt.info
Fractals are self-similar patterns that repeat at different scales, the complexity of which are expressed as a fractional Euclidean dimension D between 0 (a point) and 2 (a filled plane). The drip paintings of American painter Jackson Pollock (JP) are fractal in nature, and Pollock's most illustrious works are of the high-D (∼1.7) category. This would imply that people prefer more complex fractal patterns, but some research has instead suggested people prefer lower-D fractals. Furthermore, research has suggested that parietal and frontal brain activity tracks the complexity of fractal patterns, but previous research has artificially binned fractals depending on fractal dimension, rather than treating fractal dimension as a parametrically varying value. We used white layers extracted from JP artwork as stimuli, and constructed statistically matched 2-dimensional random Cantor sets as control stimuli. We recorded the electroencephalogram (EEG) while participants viewed the JP and matched random Cantor fractal patterns. Participants then rated their subjective preference for each pattern. We used a single-trial analysis to construct within-subject models relating subjective preference to fractal dimension D, as well as relating D and subjective preference to single-trial EEG power spectra. Results indicated that participants preferred higher-D images for both JP and Cantor stimuli. Power spectral analysis showed that, for artistic fractal images, parietal alpha and beta power parametrically tracked complexity of fractal patterns, while for matched mathematical fractals, parietal power tracked complexity of patterns over a range of frequencies, but most prominently in alpha band. Furthermore, parietal alpha power parametrically tracked aesthetic preference for both artistic and matched Cantor patterns. Overall, our results suggest that perception of complexity for artistic and computer-generated fractal images is reflected in parietal-occipital alpha and beta activity, and neural substrates of preference for complex stimuli are reflected in parietal alpha band activity.
Within the field of restorative environments research, it is commonly assumed that restorative responses, triggered by exposure to natural elements and settings, are ultimately adaptive traits originating from our species’ long evolutionary history in natural environments. The aim of this article is to critically investigate the viability of this evolutionary view on restoration. In doing so, we specifically focus on Stress Recovery Theory (SRT), as this theoretical framework has most extensively elaborated on the supposed evolutionary origins of restoration. A detailed analysis of SRT's psycho-evolutionary framework shows that neither current empirical evidence nor conceptual arguments provide any strong support for the hypothesis of restorative responses to nature as an ancient evolved adaptive trait. Based on this conclusion we put forward an alternative model for restorative responses to nature based on processing fluency, which prima facie circumvents some of the pitfalls associated with evolutionary accounts for restoration. The Discussion section reflects on the implications of our critical discussion for the theory and practice of urban forestry and urban greening.
Groups of subjects judged one example of two different types of outdoor scene on each of the items of the Perceived Restorative Scale, on two preference scales and a familiarity scale. It was argued that the previously demonstrated large variations in preference between different types of scenes were the result of participants using the restorative value of a scene as an implicit frame of reference for the preference judgment. Preference and the Perceived Restorative Scale score correlated .81, whereas familiarity and the Restorative Scale correlated .31, and preference and familiarity correlated .32. This result supports the hypothesis regarding the use of the restorative value of a scene as an implicit frame of reference for preference judgments. It is further argued that variations in the preference and restorative value of scenes may be associated with fractal geometry.
Quantified 2 unique attributes of patterns that may elicit aesthetic preferences, namely, dimension and unpredictability. Exp 1, conducted with 24 college students who viewed 324 chaotic patterns, showed how aesthetic preferences correlate with the fractal dimension (F) and the Lyapunov exponent (L) of the patterns. F reflected the extent that space was filled, and L represented the unpredictability of the dynamic process that produced the pattern. Results show that preferred patterns had an average F = 1.26 and an average L = 0.37 bits per iteration, corresponding to many natural objects. The 2nd experiment, with 11 Ss, was a preliminary test of individual differences in preferences. Results suggest that self-reported creative individuals had a marginally greater preference for high F patterns, and self-reported scientific individuals preferred high L patterns. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
A review of findings from the field of environmental psychology shows that humans are aesthetically attracted to natural contents and to particular landscape configurations. These features are also found to have positive effects on human functioning and can reduce stress. However, opportunities for contact with these elements are reduced in modern urban life. It is argued how this evolution can have subtle but nontrivial adverse effects on psychological and physiological well-being. These can be countered by integrating key features of natural contents and structural landscape features in the built environment. Several practical proposals are discussed, ranging from literal imitations of natural objects (such as plants) to the use of nature's fractal geometry in an architectural context.
Conceptual and empirical approaches to the study of the role of asymmetric frontal cortical activity in emotional processes are reviewed. Although early research suggested that greater left than right frontal cortical activity was associated with positive affect, more recent research, primarily on anger, suggests that greater left than right frontal cortical activity is associated with approach motivation, which can be positive (e.g., enthusiasm) or negative in valence (e.g., anger). In addition to reviewing this research on anger, research on guilt, bipolar disorder, and various types of positive affect is reviewed with relation to their association with asymmetric frontal cortical activity. The reviewed research not only contributes to a more complete understanding of the emotive functions of asymmetric frontal cortical activity, but it also points to the importance of considering motivational direction as separate from affective valence in psychological models of emotional space.
Fractals have been very successful in quantifying the visual complexity exhibited by many natural patterns, and have captured the imagination of scientists and artists alike. Our research has shown that the poured patterns of the American abstract painter Jackson Pollock are also fractal. This discovery raises an intriguing possibility – are the visual characteristics of fractals responsible for the long-term appeal of Pollock's work? To address this question, we have conducted 10 years of scientific investigation of human response to fractals and here we present, for the first time, a review of this research that examines the inter-relationship between the various results. The investigations include eye tracking, visual preference, skin conductance, and EEG measurement techniques. We discuss the artistic implications of the positive perceptual and physiological responses to fractal patterns.
Owing to the prevalence of fractal patterns in natural scenery and their growing impact on cultures around the world, fractals constitute a common feature of our daily visual experiences, raising an important question: what responses do fractals induce in the observer? We monitored subjects' EEG while they were viewing fractals with different fractal dimensions, and the results show that significant effects could be found in the EEG even by employing relatively simple silhouette images. Patterns with a fractal dimension of 1.3 elicited the most interesting EEG, with the highest alpha in the frontal lobes but also the highest beta in the parietal area, pointing to a complicated interplay between different parts of the brain when experiencing this pattern.
Research has found that positive affect broadens attention. However, these studies have manipulated positive affect that is low in approach motivation. Positive affect that is high in approach motivation should reduce the breadth of attention, as organisms shut out irrelevant stimuli as they approach desired objects. Four studies examined the attentional consequences of approach-motivated positive-affect states. Results were consistent with predictions. Participants showed less global attentional focus after viewing high-approach-motivating positive stimuli than after viewing low-approach-motivating positive stimuli (Study 1) or neutral stimuli (Study 2). Study 3 found that greater trait approach motivation resulted in less global attentional focus after participants viewed approach-motivating positive stimuli. Study 4 manipulated affect and approach motivation independently. Greater approach-motivated positive affect caused lower global focus. High-approach-motivated positive affect reduces global attentional focus, whereas low-approach-motivated positive affect increases global attentional focus. Incorporating the intensity of approach motivation into models of positive affect broadens understanding of the consequences of positive affect.
The author reviews visual perception studies showing that fractal patterns possess an aesthetic quality based on their visual complexity. Specifically, people display an aesthetic preference for patterns with mid-range fractal dimensions, irrespective of the method used to generate them. The author builds upon these studies by presenting preliminary research indicating that mid-range fractals also affect the observer's physiological condition. The potential for incorporating these fractals into art and architecture as a novel approach to reducing stress is also discussed.
This study has focused on the impact of fluorescent light on endocrine, neurophysiological, and subjective indices of wellbeing and stress. Results from two types of fluorescent lamps, 'daylight' and 'warm-white', were compared, each at two different levels of illuminance. Exposure lasted one day for each of the four combinations. The condition involving 'daylight' lamps with a high illuminance evoked a negative response pattern. The social evaluation of the office space went down, and at the same time the visual discomfort increased. The EEG contained less delta rhythm under the high illuminance conditions. During the day of light exposure the alpha rhythm became attenuated under the 1700 lux 'daylight' lamps. The results warrant the conclusion that fluorescent light of high illuminance may arouse the central nervous system and that this arousal will become accentuated if the lamps are of the 'daylight' type. The practical implication may be that people should not be exposed to fluorescent light of high illuminance for a prolonged period of time.
The aim of this study was to explore the suggestion that fractal characteristics may play a role in aesthetic experiences by providing possible empirical evidence for connections between landscape preference and fractal properties. This approach was motivated by the knowledge that many natural forms are fractal and that, in preference research, naturalness has been found an important predictor. For reasons described in the paper, in this study we chose to focus on landscape silhouette outlines. The results indicate that there is a relationship between preference and the fractal dimension, which in turn gives rise to the hypothesis that the fractal dimension could provide part of the explanation to the well-documented connection between preference and naturalness.
Since their discovery by Mandelbrot (The Fractal Geometry of Nature, Freeman, New York, 1977), fractals have experienced considerable success in quantifying the complex structure exhibited by many natural patterns and have captured the imaginations of scientists and artists alike. With ever-widening appeal, they have been referred to both as “fingerprints of nature” (Nature 399 (1999) 422) and “the new aesthetics” (J. Hum. Psychol. 41 (2001) 59). Here, we show that humans display a consistent aesthetic preference across fractal images, regardless of whether these images are generated by nature's processes, by mathematics, or by the human hand.
Directed attention plays an important role in human information processing; its fatigue, in turn, has far-reaching consequences. Attention Restoration Theory provides an analysis of the kinds of experiences that lead to recovery from such fatigue. Natural environments turn out to be particularly rich in the characteristics necessary for restorative experiences. An integrative framework is proposed that places both directed attention and stress in the larger context of human-environment relationships.
Sensory, cognitive and motor processing can result in changes of the ongoing EEG in form of an event-related desynchronization (ERD) or event-related synchronization (ERS). Both phenomena are time-locked but not phase-locked to the event and they are highly frequency-band specific. The ERD is interpreted as a correlate of an activated cortical area with increased excitability and the ERS in the alpha and lower beta bands can be interpreted, at least under certain circumstances, as a correlate of a deactivated cortical area. Spatial mapping of ERD/ERS can be used to study the dynamics of cortical activation patterns. Examples from a movement task are reported.
EEG spectral power and coherence estimates in the individually defined delta, theta, alpha-1, alpha-2, and alpha-3 bands were used to identify and characterize brain regions involved in meditative states, in which focused internalized attention gives rise to emotionally positive "blissful" experience. Blissful state was accompanied by increased anterior frontal and midline theta synchronization as well as enhanced theta long-distant connectivity between prefrontal and posterior association cortex with distinct "center of gravity" in the left prefrontal region (AF3 site). Subjective scores of emotional experience significantly correlated with theta, whereas scores of internalized attention with both theta and alpha lower synchronization. Our results propose selective associations of theta and alpha oscillating networks activity with states of internalized attention and positive emotional experience.
Although slow waves of the electroencephalogram (EEG) have been associated with attentional processes, the functional significance of the alpha component in the EEG (8.1-12 Hz) remains uncertain. Conventionally, synchronisation in the alpha frequency range is taken to be a marker of cognitive inactivity, i.e. 'cortical idling'. However, it has been suggested that alpha may index the active inhibition of sensory information during internally directed attentional tasks such as mental imagery. More recently, this idea has been amended to encompass the notion of alpha synchronisation as a means of inhibition of non-task relevant cortical areas irrespective of the direction of attention. Here we test the adequacy of the one idling and two inhibition hypotheses about alpha. In two experiments we investigated the relation between alpha and internally vs. externally directed attention using mental imagery vs. sensory-intake paradigms. Results from both experiments showed a clear relationship between alpha and both attentional factors and increased task demands. At various scalp sites alpha amplitudes were greater during internally directed attention and during increased load, results incompatible with alpha reflecting cortical idling and more in keeping with suggestions of active inhibition necessary for internally driven mental operations.
The central problem for cognitive neuroscience is to describe how cognitive processes arise from brain processes. This review summarizes the recent evidence that synchronous neural oscillations reveal much about the origin and nature of cognitive processes such as memory, attention and consciousness. Memory processes are most closely related to theta and gamma rhythms, whereas attention seems closely associated with alpha and gamma rhythms. Conscious awareness may arise from synchronous neural oscillations occurring globally throughout the brain rather than from the locally synchronous oscillations that occur when a sensory area encodes a stimulus. These associations between the dynamics of the brain and cognitive processes indicate progress towards a unified theory of brain and cognition.
Computers have led to the remarkable popularity of mathematically-generated fractal patterns. Fractals have also assumed a rapidly expanding role as an art form. Due to their growing impact on cultures around the world and their prevalence in nature, fractals constitute a central feature of our daily visual experiences throughout our lives. This intimate association raises a crucial question - does exposure to fractals have a positive impact on our mental and physical condition? This question raises the opportunity for readers of this journal to have some visual fun. Each year a different nonlinear inspired artist is featured on the front cover of the journal. This year, Scott Draves's fractal art works continues this tradition. In May 2007, we selected twenty of Draves's artworks and invited readers to vote for their favorites from this selection. The most popular images will feature on the front covers this year. In this article, we discuss fractal aesthetics and Draves's remarkable images.
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