The relationship between perception and landscape characteristics of recreational places with human mental well-being
Abstract Being outdoors benefits both humans’ physical and mental well-being, but the reasons for this connection are difficult to pinpoint. This study examines 40 recreational areas to understand their individual characteristics’ impact on mental well-being. We interviewed 1184 visitors on their pe...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-88414-5 |
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| author | Janina Vanhöfen Talia Härtel Giovanna Reichert Christoph Randler |
| author_facet | Janina Vanhöfen Talia Härtel Giovanna Reichert Christoph Randler |
| author_sort | Janina Vanhöfen |
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| description | Abstract Being outdoors benefits both humans’ physical and mental well-being, but the reasons for this connection are difficult to pinpoint. This study examines 40 recreational areas to understand their individual characteristics’ impact on mental well-being. We interviewed 1184 visitors on their perception of the place and feeling of mental well-being. In a second survey, 49 participants were shown images of the areas to assess whether they perceived them in the same way as people on-site did. Biologists then evaluated the areas through bird and biotope surveys, also assessing various other landscape characteristics of the study areas. Analysis using a two-level multivariate GLM revealed that perceived naturalness and perceived bird diversity are significant predictors of improved mental well-being. On the flip side, mental well-being declines with increased human impact, as indicated by the amount of infrastructure and the Human Footprint Index value. Notably, perceived naturalness positively correlates with actual bird diversity (p = 0.005) and negatively with human impact (p = 0.006). A strong perception of birds enhances the mental well-being of greenspace visitors (p < 0.001), while a high birding specialization negatively affects recalled restoration (p = 0.014). The estimated restoration value (p = 0.001) and estimated beauty (p < 0.001) from the online survey correlate positively with emotions experienced on-site. The perception of naturalness in images aligns with on-site perception, suggesting pathways for future research and the design of recreational areas. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5c3cc22aa91b4610ab72eeb2b404b3c9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| spelling | doaj-art-5c3cc22aa91b4610ab72eeb2b404b3c92025-02-09T12:37:37ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-02-0115111710.1038/s41598-025-88414-5The relationship between perception and landscape characteristics of recreational places with human mental well-beingJanina Vanhöfen0Talia Härtel1Giovanna Reichert2Christoph Randler3Didactics of Biology, Department of Biology, Eberhard Karls University TübingenDidactics of Biology, Department of Biology, Eberhard Karls University TübingenDidactics of Biology, Department of Biology, Eberhard Karls University TübingenDidactics of Biology, Department of Biology, Eberhard Karls University TübingenAbstract Being outdoors benefits both humans’ physical and mental well-being, but the reasons for this connection are difficult to pinpoint. This study examines 40 recreational areas to understand their individual characteristics’ impact on mental well-being. We interviewed 1184 visitors on their perception of the place and feeling of mental well-being. In a second survey, 49 participants were shown images of the areas to assess whether they perceived them in the same way as people on-site did. Biologists then evaluated the areas through bird and biotope surveys, also assessing various other landscape characteristics of the study areas. Analysis using a two-level multivariate GLM revealed that perceived naturalness and perceived bird diversity are significant predictors of improved mental well-being. On the flip side, mental well-being declines with increased human impact, as indicated by the amount of infrastructure and the Human Footprint Index value. Notably, perceived naturalness positively correlates with actual bird diversity (p = 0.005) and negatively with human impact (p = 0.006). A strong perception of birds enhances the mental well-being of greenspace visitors (p < 0.001), while a high birding specialization negatively affects recalled restoration (p = 0.014). The estimated restoration value (p = 0.001) and estimated beauty (p < 0.001) from the online survey correlate positively with emotions experienced on-site. The perception of naturalness in images aligns with on-site perception, suggesting pathways for future research and the design of recreational areas.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-88414-5Recreational placesPerceived naturalnessLandscape characteristicsMental well-beingPlace attachmentBiodiversity |
| spellingShingle | Janina Vanhöfen Talia Härtel Giovanna Reichert Christoph Randler The relationship between perception and landscape characteristics of recreational places with human mental well-being Scientific Reports Recreational places Perceived naturalness Landscape characteristics Mental well-being Place attachment Biodiversity |
| title | The relationship between perception and landscape characteristics of recreational places with human mental well-being |
| title_full | The relationship between perception and landscape characteristics of recreational places with human mental well-being |
| title_fullStr | The relationship between perception and landscape characteristics of recreational places with human mental well-being |
| title_full_unstemmed | The relationship between perception and landscape characteristics of recreational places with human mental well-being |
| title_short | The relationship between perception and landscape characteristics of recreational places with human mental well-being |
| title_sort | relationship between perception and landscape characteristics of recreational places with human mental well being |
| topic | Recreational places Perceived naturalness Landscape characteristics Mental well-being Place attachment Biodiversity |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-88414-5 |
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