Setting-dependent constraints on human restoration while visiting a wilderness park

Contact with nature can promote health and well-being through providing opportunities for restoring diminished psychological resources. Among those factors relevant for experiencing restoration are having a sense of being away from stress and daily demands. However, only little is known about how perceived interdependencies (in terms of social, behavioral and cognitive aspects) between settings usually relied on for restoration and those settings where stress and demands are encountered may impact having a sense of being away, and thus influence perceived restoration. In a visitor survey (N = 115) conducted at the Wilderness Park Zürich those perceived setting interdependencies that might influence having a sense of being away were assessed. The relationship between perceived setting interdependencies, having a sense of being away and restorative outcomes was analyzed by employing a structural equation model. The perceived setting interdependencies accounted for 26% of the explained variance for experiencing being away and had a negative indirect and total effect on perceived restorative outcomes. The more setting interdependencies a park visitor reported, the lower were the ratings for having a sense of being away and restorative outcomes. Researchers and practitioners who work with restorative environments and related domains are encouraged to further elaborate on setting-related aspects that may promote or hinder experiencing being away while spending time in an environment that is usually used for restorative purposes. These insights may be used to improve restoration of depleted psychological resources, to promote health and well-being, and thus to increase the overall visiting experience.Management implicationsResearchers and practitioners who work with restorative environments and related domains are encouraged to further elaborate on setting-related aspects that may promote or hinder experiencing being away while spending time in an environment that is usually used for restorative purposes. These insights may be used to improve restoration of depleted psychological resources, to promote health and well-being, and thus to increase the overall visiting experience. In this case study, the restorative effects of the park can be influenced by park management by●keeping crowding effects low; and●providing environmental conditions which stand in contrast to the urban environment.Both measures would enhance the sense of being away, which is one crucial component of restorational effects.