| PRESENTATION INFO |
| TITLE: |
Environmental effects on cognition and perception across multiple life stages: A three study inquiry |
| TYPE: |
Presentation |
| Abstract: |
Since the industrial and technological revolutions, humans have increasingly designed and built their primary environments. Research has begun to show that decreased exposure to natural
environments and increased exposure to built environments may have detrimental effects on adults’ cognitions and emotions (Berto 2008; 2005, Kaplan 2007). Yet, there is little to no knowledge concerning the effects of exposure to such varying environments on childhood cognitive development. Here, we present preliminary data from three ongoing studies investigating possible cognitive differences gleaned from exposure to natural versus built environments at various stages of the
lifespan. The first study examines attentional capability in children ages 3-12 after exposure to visual stimuli from these different environmental categories. The second study investigates adults’ perception
of time when exposed to such different visual environments. The final study focuses on eyetracking data from children ages 4-9 when examining natural versus built visual environments. As has been found in adults, we hypothesize that exposure to natural—as opposed to built—environmental stimuli will help restore directed attention in children. Answering such questions across multiple
developmental stages may also inform whether natural environments exert a universal restorative effect on humans, such as in the 'biophilia hypothesis' (Kellert & Wilson, 1993), or whether such effects are
learned over the lifespan. In sum, this trio of experiments are some of the first to investigate whether lessened exposure to natural environments in early childhood may exert negative cognitive consequences, as proposed by Louv (2005).
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| PRESENTER(S) INFO |
| Presenter: |
Justice Morath - Education |
| Info: |
POC,Primary Presenter,Author
Education
Psychology
Kerry Jordan. Phd
Psychology
justice.morath@aggiemail.usu.edu
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