IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v22y2025i4p535-d1625765.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exploring the Restorative Effects of Natural Environments in Virtual Reality

Author

Listed:
  • Silvia Marocco

    (Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Valeria Vitale

    (Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria
    CIRPA—Centre for Interuniversity Research in Environmental Psychology, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Elena Grossi

    (Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Fabio Presaghi

    (Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Marino Bonaiuto

    (Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
    CIRPA—Centre for Interuniversity Research in Environmental Psychology, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Alessandra Talamo

    (Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy)

Abstract

Natural environments are known to foster positive emotions and well-being, while Virtual Reality (VR) represents a powerful tool to explore such effects. This study investigates the restorative potential of virtual natural environments for emotional recovery, combining self-report and physiological measures. Fifty-two participants were divided into three Natural groups—formed spontaneously based on their preferred natural scenarios—and a Neutral group—exposed to a neutral scenario. The results reveal that virtual natural scenarios effectively restored positive emotions (valence) after exposure to arousing stimuli. Both neutral and natural scenarios reduced arousal, but the physiological data show higher activation in Natural groups. Interestingly, this activation was positively appraised, supporting emotional recovery. These findings confirm the restorative potential of VR nature, with nuanced arousal effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Silvia Marocco & Valeria Vitale & Elena Grossi & Fabio Presaghi & Marino Bonaiuto & Alessandra Talamo, 2025. "Exploring the Restorative Effects of Natural Environments in Virtual Reality," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(4), pages 1-26, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:4:p:535-:d:1625765
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/4/535/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/4/535/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gerhard Reese & Elias Kohler & Claudia Menzel, 2021. "Restore or Get Restored: The Effect of Control on Stress Reduction and Restoration in Virtual Nature Settings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-10, February.
    2. Dongying Li & Tess Menotti & Yizhen Ding & Nancy M. Wells, 2021. "Life Course Nature Exposure and Mental Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Future Directions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-28, May.
    3. Morgan Faith Schebella & Delene Weber & Lisa Schultz & Philip Weinstein, 2019. "The Nature of Reality: Human Stress Recovery during Exposure to Biodiverse, Multisensory Virtual Environments," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-24, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yonatal Tefera & Veronica Soebarto & Courtney Bishop & John Kandulu & Carmel Williams, 2023. "A Scoping Review of Urban Planning Decision Support Tools and Processes That Account for the Health, Environment, and Economic Benefits of Trees and Greenspace," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(1), pages 1-28, December.
    2. Kamila Czepczor-Bernat & Justyna Modrzejewska & Adriana Modrzejewska & Viren Swami, 2022. "The Impact of a Woodland Walk on Body Image: A Field Experiment and an Assessment of Dispositional and Environmental Determinants," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-13, November.
    3. Elisabetta Ricciardi & Giuseppina Spano & Antonella Lopez & Luigi Tinella & Carmine Clemente & Giuseppe Elia & Payam Dadvand & Giovanni Sanesi & Andrea Bosco & Alessandro Oronzo Caffò, 2022. "Long-Term Exposure to Greenspace and Cognitive Function during the Lifespan: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-24, September.
    4. Nancy M. Wells & Nilda Graciela Cosco & Derek Hales & Muntazar Monsur & Robin C. Moore, 2023. "Gardening in Childcare Centers: A Randomized Controlled Trial Examining the Effects of a Garden Intervention on Physical Activity among Children Aged 3–5 Years in North Carolina," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(11), pages 1-16, May.
    5. Emad Alyan & Theo Combe & Dayang Rohaya Awang Rambli & Suziah Sulaiman & Frederic Merienne & Nadia Diyana Mohd Muhaiyuddin, 2021. "The Influence of Virtual Forest Walk on Physiological and Psychological Responses," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-12, October.
    6. Liying Zhu & Sining Dong & Xin Chen & Qingqing Zhou & Fangying Li & Guangyu Wang, 2024. "Does Social Distancing Affect the Stress Reduction and Attention Restoration of College Students in Different Natural Settings?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-18, April.
    7. Kimberly A. Rollings & Christina S. Bollo, 2021. "Permanent Supportive Housing Design Characteristics Associated with the Mental Health of Formerly Homeless Adults in the U.S. and Canada: An Integrative Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-37, September.
    8. Kate McLellan & Narantsatsral Ganzorigta & Khulan Davaakhuu & Nicolas Spencer, 2025. "Predictors of Life Satisfaction in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander College Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(2), pages 1-10, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:4:p:535-:d:1625765. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.