SynthesisFrontiers in psychology2022
A Meta-Analysis of Emotional Evidence for the Biophilia Hypothesis and Implications for Biophilic Design.
Synthesis in Frontiers in psychology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers.
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Who cites it
39 citing papers in PubMed.
- Effects of Digital Nature Interventions on Positive Psychological Outcomes: A Scoping Review.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Digitalization of Intervention Delivery and Its Impact on the Effects of Interventions for Mental Well-Being in Higher Education Students: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- A cross-modal framework for evaluating the mental health benefits of urban and natural landscapes in sustainable cities: an empirical study based on undergraduate students.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Examining the Effects of Viewing Nature and Animal Smartphone Wallpapers on Affect, Behaviour, and Cognition: A Randomised Cross-Over Trial.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- An experimental study of the acute effects of visual and olfactory nature stimuli on task performance.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Early life stress enhances the association between residential nature exposure and fasting blood glucose.PloS one · 2026Article
- Guided tours in historical and religious sites: emotional restoration and the role of individual differences.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- More trees, more naturalness, and greater willingness to engage in physical activity: an image-based study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Minimum requirements for the design of Brazilian intensive care units: is it time for a change?Critical care science · 2026Review
- Observing children's outdoor loose parts play, fundamental movement skills, and physical activity in after-school programs through a behavioral mapping approach.AIMS public health · 2026Article
- Connecting with nature to mitigate toxic stress: an exploratory study of pediatric provider perceptions.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- The microbiome and non-occupational human-animal interactions: a scoping review.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- The impact mechanism of green exercise on college students' suicidal ideation: a mediation analysis based on entrance anxiety.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Understanding the effects of timber rich workplaces on occupants perceived productivity and health: a pilot study.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Effects of nature-based virtual reality interventions on physical and mental health symptoms in patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.BMJ health & care informatics · 2025Article
- Sustaining the Merry Space farmer with pick-and-eat crop production.NPJ microgravity · 2025Article
- Free does not mean free of responsibility: the impact of ecological identity and natural empathy on campers' environmental responsibility behavior.BMC psychology · 2025Article
- Nature perception and positive emotions in urban forest parks enhance subjective well-being.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- A Bibliometric Evaluation of the Use of Biomimicry as a Nature-Compatible Design Approach in Landscape Architecture Within the Context of Sustainability and Ecology.Biomimetics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Quantitative and qualitative influences of spiritual connection and natural imagery on perception of art in clinical psychedelic dosing settings.Scientific reports · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The biophilia hypothesis posits an innate biological and genetic connection between human and nature, including an emotional dimension to this connection. Biophilic design builds on this hypothesis in an attempt to design human-nature connections into the built environment. This article builds on this theoretical framework through a meta-analysis of experimental studies on the emotional impacts of human exposure to natural and urban environments. A total of 49 studies were identified, with a combined sample size of 3,201 participants. The primary findings indicated that exposure to natural environments had a medium to large effect on both increasing positive affect and decreasing negative affect. This finding supported the anticipated emotional dimension of the biophilia hypothesis and lends credibility to biophilic design theory. Evidence was revealed in support of the affective/arousal response model. Immersion in environments indicated a larger effect size than laboratory simulation of environments. Methodological recommendations for future experimental research were few, however the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) outcome measure was recommended as a measure of both positive and negative affect for further studies. A combination measurement of stress related outcome variables was proposed to further explore the affective/arousal response model and its potential relationship to the biophilia hypothesis. The meta-analysis provides evidence for fundamental theories regarding human-nature connection, while revealing gaps in current knowledge.
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