Autonomic Nervous System Responses to Viewing Green and Built Settings: Differentiating Between Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Activity

Magdalena M.H.E. Van den Berg, Jolanda Maas, Rianne Muller, Anoek Braun, Wendy Kaandorp, René Van Lien, Mireille N.M. Van Poppel, Willem Van Mechelen and Agnes E. Van den Berg
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Magdalena M.H.E. Van den Berg: Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Vrije Universiteit (VU) University Medical Center, van der Boechorststraat 7, NL 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Jolanda Maas: Department of Psychology and Pedagogy, Vrije Universiteit (VU), Transitorium Van der Boechorststraat 1, NL 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Rianne Muller: Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Vrije Universiteit (VU) University Medical Center, van der Boechorststraat 7, NL 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Anoek Braun: Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Vrije Universiteit (VU) University Medical Center, van der Boechorststraat 7, NL 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Wendy Kaandorp: Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Vrije Universiteit (VU) University Medical Center, van der Boechorststraat 7, NL 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
René Van Lien: Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit (VU), Transitorium Van der Boechorststraat 1, NL 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Mireille N.M. Van Poppel: Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Vrije Universiteit (VU) University Medical Center, van der Boechorststraat 7, NL 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Willem Van Mechelen: Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Vrije Universiteit (VU) University Medical Center, van der Boechorststraat 7, NL 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Agnes E. Van den Berg: Department of Cultural Geography, Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen, Landleven 1, 9747 AD Groningen, The Netherlands

IJERPH, 2015, vol. 12, issue 12, 1-15

Abstract: This laboratory study explored buffering and recovery effects of viewing urban green and built spaces on autonomic nervous system activity. Forty-six students viewed photos of green and built spaces immediately following, and preceding acute stress induction. Simultaneously recorded electrocardiogram and impedance cardiogram signal was used to derive respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and pre-ejection period (PEP), indicators of respectively parasympathetic and sympathetic activity. The findings provide support for greater recovery after viewing green scenes, as marked by a stronger increase in RSA as a marker of parasympathetic activity. There were no indications for greater recovery after viewing green scenes in PEP as a marker of sympathetic activity, and there were also no indications of greater buffering effects of green space in neither RSA nor PEP. Overall, our findings are consistent with a predominant role of the parasympathetic nervous system in restorative effects of viewing green space.

Keywords: stress buffering; stress recovery; natural environment; autonomic nervous system; respiratory sinus arrhythmia; pre-ejection period (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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