An eye-tracking study from Bangor University and Technion found that focusing on natural elements while walking through a city reduces anxiety and increases feelings of recovery in city residents. These findings suggest that improved urban design, incorporating more natural elements, could significantly boost mental health in cities. Credit: SciTechDaily
A new eye-tracking study has revealed that looking at natural elements during an urban walk can have significant benefits for mental health.
The study was carried out by Bangor University and the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, and published in the journal Nature. Humans and Natureshowed that city dwellers who value greenery rather than man-made structures experience reduced anxiety and a greater sense of recovery.
The heatmap shows all the most viewed locations. Credit: Brian Rizowy
Study details and results
A total of 117 city residents took part in the study. They took a 45-minute urban walk wearing eye-tracking glasses. Participants were instructed to focus their gaze on trees, plants, grass, flowers, man-made structures, or both. Results showed that turning to nature, and specifically trees, led to improvements in mental health indicators such as anxiety levels and feelings of resilience.
Focusing on natural elements while walking can help reduce anxiety. Credit: Brian Lisowy
Dr Whitney Fleming, lecturer in human geography at Bangor University, explained the results: “Those who were instructed to direct their gaze towards green elements reported significantly reduced anxiety, with trees showing the most significant positive effect.”
This heatmap shows the most popular spots in city parks. Credit: Brian Lisowy
Urban design and mental health
The findings highlight a strong association between observing green elements and improved mental health, suggesting that even brief interactions with nature can benefit mental health. These insights are particularly useful for urban planners and architects, as they suggest that incorporating more natural features into urban landscapes could significantly boost residents’ mental health. The “Nature Gaze” study supports the notion of designing urban environments that encourage engagement with nature, and offers a simple yet effective strategy for improving mental health in cities.
Reference: “Gaze in nature: Eye-tracking experiment reveals well-being benefits from directing visual attention to natural elements,” by Whitney Fleming, Brian Rizzowy, and Assaf Schwartz, June 4, 2024, Humans and Nature.
DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10648
This research was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and the Zuckerman STEM Leadership Programme.
