Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
7245536 | Journal of Environmental Psychology | 2016 | 9 Pages |
Abstract
Bird sounds are related to perceptions of attention restoration and stress recovery, but the role of associations in such perceptions is understudied. 174 adult residents of the United Kingdom rated 50 bird sounds on perceived restorative potential (PRP) and provided qualitative data on associations with each sound. Bird sounds were associated with imagined environments, birds and other animals, time and season, and activities within the environment. Bird sounds rated as high in PRP were associated with green spaces, spring and summer, daytime, and active behaviours in the environment. Low-PRP bird sounds were associated with exotic and marine environments, non-avian animals, and showed a non-significant trend towards associations with negative bird behaviour. These findings highlight connections between semantic values and restorative perceptions of natural stimuli. Such connections can inform top-down approaches to study of restorative environments and may benefit conservationists seeking to improve bonds between people and wildlife.
Related Topics
Social Sciences and Humanities
Psychology
Applied Psychology
Authors
Eleanor Ratcliffe, Birgitta Gatersleben, Paul T. Sowden,