Exploring the Restorative Effects of Natural Environments in Virtual Reality.

Silvia Marocco, Valeria Vitale, Elena Grossi, Fabio Presaghi, Marino Bonaiuto, Alessandra Talamo

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

1citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

The potential of virtual natural environments: a critical analysis of a VR-based mindfulness approach.Frontiers in psychology · 2025
Article

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Silvia MaroccoDepartment of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-9614-5110

Valeria VitaleDepartment of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria.ORCID 0000-0003-1073-3390

Elena GrossiDepartment of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.

Fabio PresaghiDepartment of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-7880-6715

Marino BonaiutoDepartment of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-4543-5329

Alessandra TalamoDepartment of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-0278-8116

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Natural environments are known to foster positive emotions and well-being, while Virtual Reality (VR) represents a powerful tool to explore such effects. This study investigates the restorative potential of virtual natural environments for emotional recovery, combining self-report and physiological measures. Fifty-two participants were divided into three Natural groups-formed spontaneously based on their preferred natural scenarios-and a Neutral group-exposed to a neutral scenario. The results reveal that virtual natural scenarios effectively restored positive emotions (valence) after exposure to arousing stimuli. Both neutral and natural scenarios reduced arousal, but the physiological data show higher activation in Natural groups. Interestingly, this activation was positively appraised, supporting emotional recovery. These findings confirm the restorative potential of VR nature, with nuanced arousal effects.

Indexed as

EmotionsEnvironmentVirtual RealityAdolescentAdultArousalFemaleHumansMaleYoung Adultarousalemotionsnature exposurevalencevirtual reality

Identifiers

PMID40283760

DOI10.3390/ijerph22040535

PMCPMC12027046

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata

LicenceCC BY

Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.