@article{a8e446a0aafd4f6a9beb12a229c940be,
title = "Stress recovery from virtual exposure to a brown (desert) environment versus a green environment",
abstract = "The beneficial association between nature contact and human health is often explained with psycho-evolutionary frameworks such as stress reduction theory and the savanna hypothesis. However, evidence is limited on how natural environments that are not green affect stress. One example is the desert, which does not offer affordances for nourishment or safety in an evolutionary sense. In this study, we determine the effect of a virtual reality (VR) exposure to a desert vs. green environment among 95 healthy adult male residents of El Paso, Texas. The procedure consisted of an acute stressor followed by random assignment to a 10 min VR experience (desert, green space, or office [control condition]) and a 40 min resting period. Participants in the desert condition showed significant reductions in salivary cortisol compared to participants in the office. Participants in the desert condition showed decreases in mean arterial pressure compared to participants in the control condition. Collectively, these findings suggest that factors beyond those proposed by psycho-evolutionary frameworks such as lived experiences and familiarity with landscapes may play a role in the health benefits of nature exposure.",
keywords = "Arid landscape, Greenness, Landscape preference, Psychosocial stress, Salivary cortisol, Savanna hypothesis",
author = "Jie Yin and Bratman, {Gregory N.} and Browning, {Matthew H.E.M.} and Spengler, {John D.} and Olvera-Alvarez, {Hector A.}",
note = "Funding Information: We thank Diana P. Flores, Ismael Beltran, Marcela Murga and Alan Medina from the Biobehavioral Research Lab at School of Nursing, The University of Texas at El Paso, for their help with the experiment. G.N. Bratman appreciates support from the Doug Walker Endowed Professorship, Craig McKibben and Sarah Merner, John Miller, and discussions with members of the University of Washington Nature and Health group, as well as the Environment and Well-Being Lab. Preparation of this manuscript was supported by the Yerby Fellowship [to J. Yin] from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and JPB Environmental Health Fellowship from JPB Foundation [to H.A. Olvera-Alvarez and G.N. Bratman]. Funding Information: We thank Diana P. Flores, Ismael Beltran, Marcela Murga and Alan Medina from the Biobehavioral Research Lab at School of Nursing, The University of Texas at El Paso, for their help with the experiment. G.N. Bratman appreciates support from the Doug Walker Endowed Professorship, Craig McKibben and Sarah Merner, John Miller, and discussions with members of the University of Washington Nature and Health group, as well as the Environment and Well-Being Lab. Preparation of this manuscript was supported by the Yerby Fellowship [to J. Yin] from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and JPB Environmental Health Fellowship from JPB Foundation [to H.A. Olvera-Alvarez and G.N. Bratman]. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022",
year = "2022",
month = jun,
doi = "10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101775",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "81",
journal = "Journal of Environmental Psychology",
issn = "0272-4944",
publisher = "Academic Press Inc.",
}