Loder and Stoner review studies related to nature (plants, nature views, etc.) in work environments. They share, for example, that “Research has shown that contact with nature can improve task performance, usually through increased attention and focus. This is often evaluated with cognitive tests that measure productivity through proxy measures, such as the speed of completion for tasks, classic cognitive load tests (often working memory), error rate, short-term memory, and higher order mental functions.” Another example of content included: “Research has shown that contact with nature can reduce stress and improve mood, often through the restorative qualities of nature. . . . Mental restoration is often evaluated both through psychological measures such as psychological tests or questions that evaluate mental health, such as levels of stress, depression, anxiety, or mood, as well as physiological tests that evaluate the body’s response to stress, such as high blood pressure, cortisol levels (used to measure stress), and heart rate.”
Angela Loder and Alden Stoner. 2022. “Access to Nature and the Workplace – What is the Evidence? What Does This Mean for the Modern Workplace.” International WELL Building Institute and Nature Sacred, https://naturesacred.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/E-WELL-update-1.pdf
Sally Augustin, PhD, a cognitive scientist, is the editor of Research Design Connections (www.researchdesignconnections.com), a monthly subscription newsletter and free daily blog, where recent and classic research in the social, design, and physical sciences that can inform designers’ work are presented in straightforward language. Readers learn about the latest research findings immediately, before they’re available elsewhere. Sally, who is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, is also the author of Place Advantage: Applied Psychology for Interior Architecture (Wiley, 2009) and, with Cindy Coleman, The Designer’s Guide to Doing Research: Applying Knowledge to Inform Design (Wiley, 2012). She is a principal at Design with Science (www.designwithscience.com) and can be reached at sallyaugustin@designwithscience.com.