ReviewInternational journal of environmental research and public health2020
Enable, Reconnect and Augment: A New ERA of Virtual Nature Research and Application.
Review in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 42 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
42 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of virtual reality nature effects on higher education students' mental health and wellbeing.Applied psychology. Health and well-being · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of immersion in a simulated natural environment on stress reduction and emotional arousal: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2022Pooled it
- An Actual Natural Setting Improves Mood Better Than Its Virtual Counterpart: A Meta-Analysis of Experimental Data.Frontiers in psychology · 2020Pooled it
- The effects of combining visual-auditory stimuli with exercise on short-term affect improvement: a randomized controlled trial.Scientific reports · 2024Trial
- Using Virtual Reality to Bring Restorative Environments to Employees: An Online Pilot Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Trial
- The effect of different combinations of physical activity and natural environment videos on children's attention levels between class breaks.BMC pediatrics · 2023Trial
- Brief repeated virtual nature contact for three weeks boosts university students' nature connectedness and psychological and physiological health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A pilot study.Frontiers in public health · 2022Trial
- Comparative Study of the Restorative Effects of Forest and Urban Videos during COVID-19 Lockdown: Intrinsic and Benchmark Values.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Trial
- Nature connectedness framework for adolescents: an integrative review.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Review
- A multidimensional exploration of the immediate physiological and psychological restorativeness of nature education for children in Giant Panda National Park.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Nature Engagement Outcomes of Viewing Nature Through a 360° Video or a Tablet Screen: Randomized Trial.JMIR serious games · 2025Article
- Immersive virtual nature for improving psychological distress of breast cancer patients undergoing intravenous chemotherapy.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Article
- Stress reduction from landscape painting and live nature viewing: a comparative experimental study.Journal of global health · 2025Article
- Virtual nature and well-being: Exploring the potential of 360° VR.Applied psychology. Health and well-being · 2025Article
- Haptic feedback as affective amplifier: enhanced fear perception affects cognitive performance and avoidance actions in VR height exposure.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Virtual reality for stress management and burnout reduction in nursing: A systematic review protocol.PloS one · 2025Article
- Effect of Outdoor Cycling, Virtual and Enhanced Reality Indoor Cycling on Heart Rate, Motivation, Enjoyment and Intention to Perform Green Exercise in Healthy Adults.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2024Article
- A pilot project to explore the mental health and wellbeing among cardiothoracic staff and the impact of virtual reality guided mindfulness.Journal of cardiothoracic surgery · 2024Article
- Exploring the landscape of automated species identification apps: Development, promise, and user appraisal.Bioscience · 2024Review
- Interplay among Anxiety, Digital Environmental Exposure, and Cognitive Control: Implications of Natural Settings.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Being exposed to natural environments is associated with improved health and well-being, as these environments are believed to promote feelings of "being away" from everyday struggles, positive emotional reactions and stress reduction. Despite these positive effects, humanity is becoming increasingly more distanced from nature due to societal changes, such as increased urbanization and the reduced accessibility of natural environments. Technology is also partly to blame, as research suggests that people replace nature contact with increased screen time. In this cross-section between nature and technology, we find technological nature which is progressing towards a point where we may be capable of simulating exposure to real nature. Concerns have been raised regarding this technology, as it is feared it will replace real nature. However, research suggests that virtual nature may have a more positive impact on society than a mere replacement of real nature, and this review propose several areas where virtual nature may be a beneficial addition to actual nature (Enable), help people reconnect with the real natural world (Reconnect) and "boost" human-nature interactions (Augment). Based on the current research and theoretical framework, this review proposes guidelines for future research within these areas, with the aim of advancing the field by producing high quality research.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.