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作者

Rose Macaulay;Kate Lee;Katherine Johnson;Kathryn Williams

来源

URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING,Vol.71,Issue1,Article 127566

语言

英文

关键字

Engagement;Nature connection;Restoration;Urban nature;Wellbeing

作者单位

School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, University of Melbourne, Baldwin Spencer Building, Parkville 3010, Victoria, Australia;Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Redmond Barry Building, Parkville 3010, Victoria, Australia;School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, University of Melbourne, Baldwin Spencer Building, Parkville 3010, Victoria, Australia;Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Redmond Barry Building, Parkville 3010, Victoria, Australia

摘要

Mindfulness and mind wandering are among distinct forms of cognitive engagement proposed to occur during nature experiences. Little is known however about how these forms of engagement support psychological benefits of urban nature experiences, and under what environmental and personal circumstances. We aimed to explore these associations through interviewing 20 individuals after they had spent time in an urban green space on a work break. Interviews examined different aspects of their experience, including how they cognitively engaged during that time. We used a framework approach to thematically analyse interviews, allowing us to identify links between key experiential categories such as form of engagement and environmental context. As a result, we describe five common forms of engagement during urban nature experiences: heightened sensory engagement, allowing the mind to wander, mindful engagement, negative judgement of the experience, and acceptance of experience. Further, we identified associations between forms of engagement, the contextual attributes of the experience, and psychological outcomes. For instance, participants who reported mind wandering during the experience often explained this as a response to work-related stress and subsequently reported feeling a sense of psychological distance from work. By examining such associations in the current study, we contribute insights into the subjective experience of engagement in urban nature and demonstrate the value of considering individual engagement alongside other key attributes of urban nature experiences.