Exposure to restorative environments helps restore attentional capacity
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Kaplan's Attention Restoration Theory postulates that nature has specific restorative effects on cognitive functioning.
“Notably, Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory postulates that nature has specific restorative effects on cognitive functioning [46, 47]”
From Psychological impacts of “screen time” and “green time” for children and adolescents: A systematic scoping review (2020) · cites this paper as [47]
Attention Restoration Theory postulates that when direct attention mechanisms are fatigued, they can be restored in natural environments because they employ involuntary attention, which is not tiring or effortful.
“Attention Restoration Theory postulates that when direct attention mechanisms are fatigued, they can be restored in natural environments because they employ involuntary attention, which is not tiring or effortful [46, 47].”
From Psychological impacts of “screen time” and “green time” for children and adolescents: A systematic scoping review (2020) · cites this paper as [47]
Paying constant directed attention to screen-based technologies can lead to directed attention fatigue.
“Paying constant directed attention to screen-based technologies can lead to directed attention fatigue.”
From Psychological impacts of “screen time” and “green time” for children and adolescents: A systematic scoping review (2020) · cites this paper as [47]
Exposure to real and virtual environments with natural elements can enhance people's well-being and resources.
“The environments that have been extensively studied for their restorative properties are the natural ones, and it is well known that the exposure to real and virtual environments with natural elements can enhance people’s well-being and people’ resources (Berto, 2005; Lee et al., 2022).”
From Perceived restorativeness and environment quality in relation to well-being, residential satisfaction, and sense of community: an analysis in Northeast Italy (2025) · cites this paper as Berto, 2005
Exposure to natural environments decreases stress, increases happiness, improves mood, and restores attention.
“For example, exposure to natural environments decreases stress, increases happiness, improves mood, and restores attention (Berto, 2005; Bowler, Buyung-Ali, Knight, & Pullin, 2010; White, Alcock, Wheeler, & Depledge, 2013).”
From Behavioral trainings and manipulations to reduce delay discounting: A systematic review (2019) · cites this paper as Berto, 2005
Cites
The attention system of the human brain
Posner, M. I., & Petersen, S. E. (1990) · Annual Review of Neuroscience · doi:10.1146/annurev.ne.13.030190.000325 · Cited by 8,070 · cited 2× · see citing works
“It is known that differential effects of natural and urban environments can quickly appear in physiology (4min; Ulrich et al., 1991), and in emotional states (within 10–15min; Ulrich, 1979). On the other hand, environmental effects on performance did not consistently emerge after 15–20min (Hartig, Book, Garvill, Olsso…”
BackgroundThe effect of emotion on cue utilization and the organization of behavior
Easterbrook, J. A. (1959) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/h0047707 · Cited by 3,090 · cited 3× · see citing works
“Nor is this pattern consistent with Easterbrook’s (1959) and Eysenck’s (1982) hypothesis, that reduced physiological arousal would be followed by reduced attentional selectivity. In Experiment 3, participants’ performance was slower but still very good. An alternative explanation could be that the ‘restoration process…”
MethodResultInfluentialThe Nature of the View from Home: Psychological Benefits
Kaplan, R. (2001) · Environment and Behavior · doi:10.1177/00139160121973115 · Cited by 1,172 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature.
Berman, M. G., Jonides, J., & Kaplan, S. (2008) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02225.x · Cited by 2,535 · see citing works
Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspective
Bratman, G. N., Anderson, C. B., Berman, M. G., Cochran, B., de Vries, S., Flanders, J., Folke, C., Frumkin, H., Gross, J. J., Hartig, T., et al. (2019) · Science Advances · doi:10.1126/sciadv.aax0903 · Cited by 2,001 · see citing works
Why Is Nature Beneficial?: The Role of Connectedness to Nature
Mayer, F. S., Frantz, C. M., Bruehlman-Senecal, E., & Dolliver, K. (2009) · Environment and Behavior · doi:10.1177/0013916508319745 · Cited by 1,298 · see citing works
Ohly, H., White, M. P., Wheeler, B. W., Bethel, A., Ukoumunne, O. C., Nikolaou, V., & Garside, R. (2016) · Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B · doi:10.1080/10937404.2016.1196155 · Cited by 961 · see citing works
“Study designs included 16 randomized controlled trials (RCT) from 12 articles (Berto 2005; Chen, Lai, andWu 2011; Cimprich and Ronis 2003; Hartig et al. 1996; 2003; Hartig, Mang, and Evans 1991; Laumann, Gärling, and Stormark 2003; Mayer et al. 2009; Perkins, Searight, and Ratwik 2011; Rich 2008; Stark 2003; van den B…”
InfluentialBerto, R. (2014) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs4040394 · Cited by 842 · see citing works
Self-citationPreference for Nature in Urbanized Societies: Stress, Restoration, and the Pursuit of Sustainability
Van Den Berg, A. E., Hartig, T., & Staats, H. (2007) · Journal of Social Issues · doi:10.1111/j.1540-4560.2007.00497.x · Cited by 727 · see citing works
Advances in recovery research: What have we learned? What should be done next?
Sonnentag, S., Venz, L., & Casper, A. (2017) · Journal of Occupational Health Psychology · doi:10.1037/ocp0000079 · Cited by 587 · see citing works
Landscape and well-being: A scoping study on the health-promoting impact of outdoor environments
Abraham, A., Sommerhalder, K., & Abel, T. (2010) · International Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1007/s00038-009-0069-z · Cited by 527 · see citing works
40-second green roof views sustain attention: the role of micro-breaks in attention restoration
Lee, K. E., Williams, K. J. H., Sargent, L. D., Williams, N. S. G., & Johnson, K. A. (2015) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2015.04.003 · Cited by 386 · see citing works
Oswald, T. K., Rumbold, A. R., Kedzior, S. G. E., & Moore, V. M. (2020) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0237725 · Cited by 367 · see citing works
“Notably, Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory postulates that nature has specific restorative effects on cognitive functioning [46, 47] and Ulrich’s Stress Reduction Theory contends that nature induces positive affect through reduced stress [45].”
BackgroundHealth Benefits of Nature Experience: Psychological, Social and Cultural Processes
Hartig, T., van den Berg, A. E., Hagerhall, C. M., Tomalak, M., Bauer, N., Hansmann, R., Ojala, A., Syngollitou, E., Carrus, G., van Herzele, A., et al. (2011) · Forests, Trees and Human Health · doi:10.1007/978-90-481-9806-1_5 · Cited by 366 · see citing works
Walking in “wild” and “tended” urban forests: The impact on psychological well-being
Martens, D., Gutscher, H., & Bauer, N. (2011) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2010.11.001 · Cited by 246 · see citing works
Psychophysiological responses and restorative values of natural environments in Taiwan
Chang, C.-Y., Hammitt, W. E., Chen, P.-K., Machnik, L., & Su, W.-C. (2008) · Landscape and Urban Planning · doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2007.09.010 · Cited by 228 · see citing works
Assessing the perceived restorative qualities of vacation destinations
Lehto, X. Y. (2013) · Journal of Travel Research · doi:10.1177/0047287512461567 · Cited by 185 · see citing works
The affective benefits of nature exposure
Bratman, G. N., Olvera‐Alvarez, H. A., & Gross, J. J. (2021) · Social and Personality Psychology Compass · doi:10.1111/spc3.12630 · Cited by 177 · see citing works
Van den Berg, A. E., Joye, Y., & Koole, S. L. (2016) · Urban Forestry & Urban Greening · doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2016.10.011 · Cited by 172 · see citing works
Wang, Y.-C., Liu, C.-R., Huang, W.-S., & Chen, S.-P. (2020) · Journal of Travel Research · doi:10.1177/0047287519839777 · Cited by 156 · see citing works
Tang, I.-C., Tsai, Y.-P., Lin, Y.-J., Chen, J.-H., Hsieh, C.-H., Hung, S.-H., Sullivan, W. C., Tang, H.-F., & Chang, C.-Y. (2017) · Landscape and Urban Planning · doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2017.02.007 · Cited by 137 · see citing works
Of cricket chirps and car horns: The effect of nature sounds on cognitive performance
Van Hedger, S. C., Nusbaum, H. C., Clohisy, L., Jaeggi, S. M., Buschkuehl, M., & Berman, M. G. (2019) · Psychonomic Bulletin & Review · doi:10.3758/s13423-018-1539-1 · Cited by 134 · see citing works
Behavioral trainings and manipulations to reduce delay discounting: A systematic review
Scholten, H., Scheres, A., de Water, E., Graf, U., Granic, I., & Luijten, M. (2019) · Psychonomic Bulletin & Review · doi:10.3758/s13423-019-01629-2 · Cited by 135 · see citing works
The restorative potential of shopping malls
Rosenbaum, M. S., Otalora, M. L., & Ramírez, G. C. (2016) · Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services · doi:10.1016/j.jretconser.2016.02.011 · Cited by 133 · see citing works
Community gardening: Stress, well-being, and resilience potentials
Koay, W. I., & Dillon, D. (2020) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph17186740 · Cited by 132 · see citing works
Development of the PRCQ: A measure of perceived restorative characteristics of zoo attractions
Pals, R., Steg, L., Siero, F. W., & van der Zee, K. I. (2009) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2009.08.005 · Cited by 106 · see citing works
An assessment of psychological noise reduction by landscape plants
Yang, F., Bao, Z. Y., & Zhu, Z. J. (2011) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph8041032 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
Hignett, A., White, M. P., Pahl, S., Jenkin, R., & Froy, M. L. (2018) · Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning · doi:10.1080/14729679.2017.1326829 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
Swami, V., Barron, D., & Furnham, A. (2018) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.12.006 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
Repke, M. A., Berry, M. S., Conway, L. G., Metcalf, A., Hensen, R. M., & Phelan, C. (2018) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0202246 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Pasanen, T. P., Neuvonen, M., & Korpela, K. M. (2018) · Environment and Behavior · doi:10.1177/0013916517720261 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Walking and Being Outdoors in Nature Increase Positive Affect and Energy
Fuegen, K., & Breitenbecher, K. H. (2018) · Ecopsychology · doi:10.1089/eco.2017.0036 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
Perceived Restorativeness of Visits to Cultural Heritage Sites
Cho, K.-S., Um, S.-H., & Lee, T. J. (2016) · Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research · doi:10.1080/10941665.2015.1107110 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Wang, Z., Li, Y., An, J., Dong, W., Li, H., Ma, H., Wang, J., Wu, J., Jiang, T., & Wang, G. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph19137878 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Lee, Y.-J. (2024) · Current Issues in Tourism · doi:10.1080/13683500.2023.2178395 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Cracknell, D., White, M. P., Pahl, S., & Depledge, M. H. (2017) · Landscape Research · doi:10.1080/01426397.2016.1243236 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Reece, R., Bornioli, A., Bray, I., & Alford, C. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph192013052 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Gibbs, K., Wilkie, L., Jarman, J., Barker-Smith, A., Kemp, A. H., & Fisher, Z. (2022) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0266388 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Natural landscape performance: environmental restorativeness and its influence on tourist behavior
Chen, X., Lee, G., & Joo, D. (2024) · International Journal of Tourism Research · doi:10.1002/jtr.2636 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Tourist rural destination restorative capacity: scale development and validation
Zhai, L., Wang, C., Zhang, T. (., Qiao, H., Gao, Y., Tao, Y., & Liu, J. (2025) · Journal of Travel Research · doi:10.1177/00472875231214743 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Kim, J.-O., Lee, J.-E., & Kim, N.-J. (2014) · SHS Web of Conferences · doi:10.1051/shsconf/20141201082 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Relationship Between Tourists' Perceived Restorative Environment and Wellness Tourism Destinations
Jeong, H. (2024) · International Journal of Tourism Research · doi:10.1002/jtr.2765 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Miola, L., & Pazzaglia, F. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1522098 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“The environments that have been extensively studied for their restorative properties are the natural ones, and it is well known that the exposure to real and virtual environments with natural elements can enhance people’s well-being and people’ resources (Berto, 2005; Lee et al., 2022).”
Strategic biophilic residential design based on seniors’ health profiles: a HRQoL-driven approach
Lee, E.-J., & Park, S.-J. (2025) · Buildings · doi:10.3390/buildings15111792 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
- Authors
- Berto, R.
- Affiliations
- University of Padua (IT)
- Corresponding author
- Berto, Rita
- ORCID
- Berto, Rita
- Venue
- Journal of Environmental Psychology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2005-09
- Volume
- 25
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 249-259
- ISSN
- 0272-4944 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2027532785
- Cited by
- 1,197
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 99 · 2025: 110 · 2024: 118 · 2023: 93 · 2022: 91 · 2021: 106 · 2020: 74 · 2019: 60 · 2018: 64 · 2017: 61 · 2016: 51 · 2015: 61 · 2014: 44 · 2013: 46 · 2012: 34
- FWCI
- 5.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Environmental Psychology (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Università degli Studi di Padova
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Urban Green Space and Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Speech and Hearing › Noise Effects and Management
- Keywords
- restorative environments, mental fatigue, attention restoration theory, sustained attention, attentional capacity, nature exposure
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
