EFFECTS OF A PROTOCOL OF ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGICAL RESTORATION WITH VIRTUAL REALITY ON INDICATORS OF DEMOTIVATION IN CHILDREN
Main Article Content
Keywords
Environmental psychological restoration, Virtual reality, Demotivation, Children
Abstract
For some children, lockdown due to the pandemic or crime can be demotivating, so accessing nature's restorative properties through virtual reality could improve their mental health. Environmental Psychological Restoration (EPR) with virtual reality (VR) protocols are designed to provide a simulated experience of natural environments that could promote psychological renewal and rejuvenation. The present work focuses on the restoration of demotivation in children, to document the effects of an EPR protocol with VR technology on indicators of demotivation such as valence affective and activation. Healthy children, between 8 and 11 years old, (ME=9.12; SD= .99; F= 12; M=12) from a private school in Tepic, Nayarit México. A homogeneous sample of 24 was taken, whose parents consented to participation. An experimental design of two groups and repeated measures was used. During each treatment, participants were tested at baseline (T1), exposed to a cognitive deficit induction test (n-back; T2), and subsequently, G1 was exposed to EPR-VR treatment, while G2 received no treatment (T3). Findings suggest a decline in demotivation after EPR-VR (p < 0.05). Exposure to nature, even virtual, may benefit children’s motivation. Changes in motivation would have to be strengthened with continuous sessions. The findings are discussed in light of future developments in EPR-VR research.
References
2. Berto, R. (2005). Exposure to restorative environments helps restore attentional capacity. Journal of environmental psychology, 25(3), 249-259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2005.07.001
3. Bolouki, A. (2022). The impact of virtual reality natural and built environments on affective responses: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/09603123.2022.2130881
4. Bradley, M. M., & Lang, P. J. (1994). Measuring emotion: The self-assessment manikin and the semantic differential. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 25(1), 49–59.doi:10.1016/0005-7916(94)90063-9 Ford, T., John, A., & Gunnell, D. (2021). Mental health of children and young people during pandemic. bmj, 372. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n614
5. Browning, M. H., Shin, S., Drong, G., McAnirlin, O., Gagnon, R. J., Ranganathan, S. & Heller, W. (2023). Daily exposure to virtual nature reduces symptoms of anxiety in college students. Scientific reports, 13(1), 1239. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-28070-9
6. Gajewski, P. D., Hanisch, E., Falkenstein, M., Thönes, S., & Wascher, E. (2018). What does the n-back task measure as we get older? relations between working-memory measures and other cognitive functions across the lifespan. Frontiers in psychology, 9.doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02208
7. Hartig T, Mang M, & Evans, G. (1991) Restorative effects of natural-environment experiences. Environment and Behavior, 23, 3-26. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916591231001
8. Hartig, T., Böök, A., Garvill, J., Olsson, T., & Gärling, T. (1996). Environmental influences on psychological restoration. Scandinavian journal of psychology, 37(4), 378-393. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9450.1996.tb00670.x
9. Howes, S., & Warwick, P. (2023). Creating equitable and sustainable opportunities for nature immersion to support restoration from stress within mental health nursing: A critical interpretive synthesis. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.13109
10. Jacola, L. M., Willard, V. W., Ashford, J. M., Ogg, R. J., Scoggins, M. A., Jones, M. M., Wu, S., & Conklin, H. M. (2014). Clinical utility of the n-back task in functional neuroimaging studies of working memory. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 36(8), 875–886. https://doi.org/10.1080/13803395.2014.953039
11. Jeong, H. S., Lee, J. H., Kim, H. E., & Kim, J. J. (2021). An appropriate number of treatment sessions in virtual reality-based individual cognitive behavioral therapy for social anxiety disorder. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 10(5), 915. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10050915
12. Kaplan S. (1995). The restorative benefits of nature - Toward an integrative framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15, 169-182. https://doi.org/10.1016/0272-4944(95)90001-2
13. Kaplan, R., & Kaplan, S. (1989). The experience of nature: a psychological perspective. The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective. https://books.google.com.mx/books?hl=es&lr=&id=7l80AAAAIAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&ots=TqO1SHs93f&sig=mfhkooUtj7uXh2LtSkX7hhreGHg
14. Liu, L., Qu, H., Ma, Y., Wang, K., & Qu, H. (2022). Restorative benefits of urban green space: Physiological, psychological restoration and eye movement analysis. Journal of Environmental Management, 301, 113930. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113930
15. Maggio, M. G., Naro, A., La Rosa, G., Cambria, A., Lauria, P., Billeri, L., ... & Calabrò, R. S. (2020). Virtual reality based cognitive rehabilitation in minimally conscious state: a case report with EEG findings and systematic literature review. Brain Sciences, 10(7), 414. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10070414
16. Martínez-Soto, J., & González-Santos, L. (2020). Affective psychological restoration through mediated exposure to the environment (Restauración psicológica afectiva a partir de la exposición mediada del ambiente). PsyEcology, 11(3), 289-318. https://doi.org/10.1080/21711976.2020.1730133
17. Martínez-Soto, J., Gonzales-Santos, L., Montero, M., & Barrios, F. (2014). Affective and restorative valences for three environmental categories. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 119, 901–923. https://doi.org/10.2466/24.50.PMS.119c29z4
18. Meidenbauer, K. L., Stenfors, C. U., Young, J., Layden, E. A., Schertz, K. E., Kardan, O., ... & Berman, M. G. (2019). The gradual development of the preference for natural environments. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 65, 101328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2019.101328
19. Puhakka, R. (2021). University students’ participation in outdoor recreation and the perceived well-being effects of nature. Journal of outdoor recreation and tourism, 36, 100425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jort.2021.100425
20. Reece, R., & Merchant, S. (2023). Exploring the impacts that virtual nature exposure can have on health and well-being and the mechanisms involved: a systematic review. The Open Review, 71. https://doi.org/10.47967/TOR2022COL/VOL8.06
21. Russell, J., Ward, L., & Pratt, G. (1981). Affective quality attributed to environments: a factor analysis study. Environment & Behavior, 13, 259-288. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916581133001
22. Ulrich, R. S., Simons, R. F., Losito, B. D., Fiorito, E., Miles, M. A., & Zelson, M. (1991). Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 11(3), 201–230. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-4944(05)80184-7
23. Yeo, N. L., White, M. P., Alcock, I., Garside, R., Dean, S. G., Smalley, A. J., & Gatersleben, B. (2020). What is the best way of delivering virtual nature for improving mood? An experimental comparison of high definition TV, 360 video, and computer generated virtual reality. Journal of environmental psychology, 72, 101500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101500
24. Zhang, Z., Kuzik, N., Adamo, K. B., Ogden, N., Goldfield, G. S., Okely, A. D. & Carson, V. (2021). Associations between the child care environment and Children’s in-care physical activity and sedentary time. Health Education & Behavior, 48(1), 42-53. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198120972689
25. Zhu, X., Zhang, Y., Luo, Y. Y., & Zhao, W. (2023). Natural or artificial? Exploring perceived restoration potential of community parks in Winter city. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 79, 127808. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2022.127808
Article Sidebar
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
All articles published in JPTCP are licensed under Copyright Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Aimée Argüero-Fonseca
Academic program of Psychology, Autonomous University of Nayarit, Mexico.
Joel Martínez-Soto
Department of Psychology, University of Guanajuato, Mexico.
Diana P. Aguirre-Ojeda
Academic program of Psychology, Autonomous University of Nayarit, Mexico.
Diana Pérez Pimienta
Academic program of Psychology, Autonomous University of Nayarit, Mexico.
Davide M. Marchioro
Area of Psychology, Instituto Universitario Salesiano Venezia, Mestre, Italy.