Virtual Forest Environment Influences Inhibitory Control

Viola Benedetti, Gioele Gavazzi, Fiorenza Giganti, Elio Carlo, Francesco Riccardo Becheri, Federica Zabini, Fabio Giovannelli and Maria Pia Viggiano ()
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Viola Benedetti: Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child’s Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, 50135 Florence, Italy
Gioele Gavazzi: Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child’s Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, 50135 Florence, Italy
Fiorenza Giganti: Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child’s Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, 50135 Florence, Italy
Elio Carlo: Scuola di Psicoterapia Cognitiva, 00185 Rome, Italy
Francesco Riccardo Becheri: Pian dei Termini Forest Therapy Station, 2311 Via Pratorsi, 51028 San Marcello Piteglio, Italy
Federica Zabini: Institute for Bioeconomy, National Research Council, 10 Via Madonna del Piano, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
Fabio Giovannelli: Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child’s Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, 50135 Florence, Italy
Maria Pia Viggiano: Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child’s Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, 50135 Florence, Italy

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 7, 1-13

Abstract: Exposure to natural green environments, whether through visual media or in person, can bring numerous benefits to physical and mental health. Given the restorative effects that natural forest environments have on the human mind, it is plausible to assume that these effects can also extend to cognitive processes, such as cognitive control, which are fundamental to higher-level cognitive function. In this study, we investigated whether viewing videos of urban or forest environments would have an impact on inhibitory control and attention in people with or without a past COVID-19 infection. To investigate the impact of virtual natural and urban videos on cognitive performance, 45 participants were recruited, and the exposure to forest vs. urban videos was assessed on a Go/No-Go task and an Attentional Network Test. The data showed that in both groups, exposure to the forest videos improved the inhibitory component. The results are discussed in the context of the well-established evidence of the beneficial effects of green environments.

Keywords: forest therapy; inhibitory control; Go/No-Go; virtual environment; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
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