Nature vs Malls – places and thinking

Scherz and colleagues found that people have different sorts of thoughts about other people and about places in different sorts of public spaces.  The researchers determined that “Self-related thoughts were less likely in a nature conservatory compared to a [indoor] mall. . . . Participants felt closer to people nearby and around the world in the conservatory. . . . More social and environment connection occurred in more natural parks. . . . while visiting the conservatory, participants were less likely to think about themselves, felt closer to people nearby and around the world, and felt higher connectedness to their social and physical environment. . . . Participants . . . reported feeling higher levels of connection to nearby people and the physical environment when they were visiting city parks rated as more natural.”

Kathryn Scherz and 15 others. 2023. “Nature’s Path to Thinking About Others and the Surrounding Environment.” Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 89, 102046, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102046