Aaron Hipp, a professor at North Carolina State University and director of the Nature and Health Collaborative, says nature videos may help people recover from stress when direct access to green space is limited. He coauthored an international, multi-site study that set out to replicate a 1991 study because 35 years had passed and new video media and research methods are available.
Researchers at laboratories across Europe and the United States recruited nearly 1,000 volunteers. Participants first watched a 10-minute compilation of workplace accidents to raise stress levels, then were randomly assigned to one of six 10-minute environmental videos: two natural scenes (a forest and a stream) and four urban scenes such as pedestrian areas and traffic.
The team measured emotional changes with a questionnaire given before the stress video, after the stress video, and after the environmental video; it asked about fear, anger, positive emotions, sadness and attentiveness. Sensors recorded bodily responses such as heart activity and sweating. The stress video produced clear psychological and physiological signs: more fear, anger and sadness, lower positive mood and attentiveness, more sweating and changes in heart activity.
After the environmental videos, people who saw nature scenes reported more positive emotion and less anger than those who watched urban scenes. Physiological measures improved over time for everyone, and the study did not find faster physiological recovery after nature videos overall. The forest video seemed to calm participants faster, while the stream showed little benefit, possibly because of loud water sounds. Hipp said these results show small but consistent mental improvements and that nature videos can support mental well-being.
Difficult words
- replicate — do something again in the same way
- compilation — a collection of things joined together
- physiological — related to the body's physical functions
- attentiveness — the state of paying careful attention
- assign — to give someone a task or placeassigned
- environmental — related to the surroundings or environment
- volunteer — a person who offers to help without payvolunteers
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Have you ever used nature videos to reduce stress? Describe what happened.
- Which type of nature video would you prefer (forest, stream) to help you relax, and why?
- If people cannot go outside, what other ways could they use to manage stress at work or home?
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