散步:大自然对情绪和认知的影响
by 里克·布里克博士.D.，高级学术研究员|中国科学院副院长
概述
“一种文化不比它的森林好”——W.H. 奥登.
学生 who learn differently (LD) typically report heightened anxiety levels and reduced well-being compared to their neuroatypical peers. 记录在案的执行功能挑战在这些学生中也比比皆是. Emerging evidence indicates that relatively brief exposures to nature can have beneficial effects on both 情绪 and cognition (particularly executive function) as measured by self-report, 行为, 生理测量. 在本文中, 我们简要回顾了支持自然暴露的积极影响的证据, as well as outline a pilot nature exposure project we are conducting at 具有里程碑意义的大学 with students who learn differently.
介绍
哲学家, 博物学家, and “ordinary” individuals have long espoused the restorative powers of spending time in natural environments. 在大自然中度过时光的好处包括减轻压力, 改善情绪, 增加灵性, 增强思考和推理能力. 来自不同环境研究领域的新证据, 城市规划, 医学, and cognitive psychology is providing empirical support for some of these long-held claims. 相关研究表明，与自然亲近会产生简单但有意义的影响. Merely having a view of nature from one’s home or office has been linked to higher ratings on measures of well-being (Bratman, 每天, 莱维, & Gross, 2015; Kaplan, 2001). 在另一个研究中, the presence of nearby nature attenuated the effects of stressful life events (such as family relocation) on children living in rural areas, 根据父母和孩子的报告来衡量, 即使考虑了人口统计变量, 例如社会经济地位(威尔斯 & 埃文斯,2003). 最近的一项荟萃分析得出的结论是适度, 自然干预对增加积极影响的有益影响和较小, 但可靠的, 降低消极影响的效果(麦克马汉) & 埃斯蒂斯,2015).
对生理和认知的影响
证明自然有益影响的证据并不局限于自我报告, as physiological proxies of stress have shown reduced responses such as reduced skin conductance, 心率变异性, 并且在经历了大自然之后降低了皮质醇水平(如Bratman所引用的), 每天, 等., 2015). 甚至观看自然的图像, 与城市场景相比, can have beneficial effects on the stress system following a mentally stressing task (Brown, 巴顿, & 格拉德威尔,2013). Neuroimaging evidence has shown a strong relationship between the degree of “urbanacity” of one’s upbringing and neural activity during a social stress task in a brain region associated with regulating stress and affect; in other words, 在城市长大与更积极的压力反应有关(Lederbogen等人)., 2011).
也许更令人惊讶的是, recent re搜索 has demonstrated benefits to cognition following time spent in wooded and natural areas (McMahan & 埃斯蒂斯,2015). Of note, cognitive abilities related to the brain’s “executive function” networks have been examined. 在一项开创性的研究中, Berman and colleagues (2008) tested 38 undergraduates on their 情绪 and on their working memory capacity, 步行50分钟前后. 参与者被随机分配在植物园或市中心散步, 城市设置, 间隔一周. 与城市散步相比，自然散步后的工作记忆得分更高, 不管走的顺序如何. Similarly, improvements were seen on inhibitory control and attentional filtering (Berman, Jonides, & 卡普兰,2008). Additional studies extended these findings by showing improvements in working memory and 情绪 after a nature walk in individuals with major depressive disorder (Berman 等., 2012). 同样，一组在大自然中散步的人也表现出了焦虑的减少, 减少沉思(集中在思想上的注意力), typically the causes of one’s distress) and improved affect compared to a group taking an urban walk (Bratman, 每天, 等., 2015).
潜在的机制
这些改进背后的机制是什么? 在布拉特曼等人的后续研究中. (2015)条, the authors found decreased rumination and decreased neural activity in an area associated with maladaptive self-referential thought after a nature walk (Bratman, 汉密尔顿, 哈恩, 每天, & 总,2015). This suggests nature may focus attention away from rumination and therefore its deleterious effects on well-being. 相关理论, 注意恢复理论(ART), 假设城市环境倾向于自上而下的征税, resource demanding (“executive”) attentional system to filter relevant from irrelevant stimuli. 换句话说, urban environments tend to have a high degree of sensory stimulation that requires directed attention—loud, 快速发展的汽车, 例如. The theory suggests continued exposure to urban contexts overtaxes the directed “executive” attention systems of the brain, 耗尽这种有限的认知资源. This in turn results in decreased cognitive ability for systems relying on executive attention, 比如工作记忆. 自然环境, 另一方面, 倾向于刺激自下而上的注意力系统, 因为它们“天生”有趣和刺激, 从而自动吸引注意力, 因此, 少resource-demanding. The top-down directed attention systems are thus not taxed to the same degree in nature and thereby allow the resource-heavy executive attention systems time to replenish or refresh; this in turn could explain improved performance in high-demand cognitive tasks after nature exposure.
研究项目
雇用有学习困难的人的研究有限，但很有希望. 在一项研究中, parents of 96 children with attention hyperactivity deficit disorder (注意力缺陷多动症) were surveyed about their children’s attentional functioning and 注意力缺陷多动症 symptomology after various leisure activities. 注意力评分更高, 症状也较低, 与其他活动相比，户外活动更有吸引力(泰勒), 郭, & 沙利文,2001). 17名儿童的工作记忆容量, 7 - 12岁, 在城市散步后进行了测试, 社区, 或者公园设置. Performance was improved after the park walk compared to either of the other two settings (Taylor & 郭,2009). 然而, 据我们所知, no studies have examined the effects of a brief nature intervention in college-aged student who learn differently.
给n the limited amount of data on nature exposure in college students with learning differences, 我们正在地标学院进行一项试点研究，以测试学生的感知幸福感, 情绪, 以及在城市和自然环境中散步前后的执行功能. Little is known about the potential benefits of nature exposure to students with learning challenges, 尽管它可能给学生带来潜在的积极好处.
我们对这个项目的研究问题如下:
- 有学习差异(LD)的学生会参与并报告他们的乐趣吗, 幸福感增强, 在短暂的自然接触干预后的积极情绪?
- Will a brief nature exposure intervention improve computer-tested executive function ability (working memory and executive attention) in college students with LD?
自然暴露“干预”具有低成本的潜力, 低资源策略，提高学生的福祉，并可能取得学业成功. 请继续关注我们项目的最新进展! We hope the findings will help elucidate the efficacy and prospective benefits of nature exposure on students with learning differences.
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