The Bigger the Window…
Gomez-Sirvent and teammates’ conducted an intriguing study: “a virtual replica of a real conservatoire classroom was used to investigate the effect of window size and views through windows on the perception of the built...
Round is sweet.. but angular is…
Chuquichambi and colleagues report that “People generally associate curved and symmetrical shapes with sweetness, while associating angular and asymmetrical shapes with the other basic tastes (e.g., sour, bitter). . . . The results replicate...
The Biophilic Effect
Via a literature review Vitale and Bonaiuto found that accessing nature, through spending time in nature, looking at images of nature, or something else has positive repercussions: “nature exposure appears to have a positive...
Zoom backdrops – choose wisely, especially for trust…
Houchens and teammates evaluated how patients respond to different scenes behind physicians during Zoom-type telemedicine appointments and their findings are likely more generally applicable. The investigators “assessed patient preferences for various visual backgrounds during...
Foraging, and relative creativity…
Malaie and team link different sorts of foraging behaviour to creativity: “According to accounts of neural reuse and embodied cognition, higher-level cognitive abilities recycle evolutionarily ancient mechanisms for perception and action. . . ....
How we name a scent affects how we “smell” it…
Did you know that what you call a scent or a smell affects how we smell that smell? Okumura and colleagues found that “Olfactory perception depends not only on olfactory inputs but also on...
A shout out for Nature!
Amy Thomas, in “Why ‘Biophilia’ Needs to be Part of Your Next Holiday” (2024, BBC Online,https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20240502-why-biophilia-needs-to-be-part-of-your-next-holiday) encourages people to improve their mental health by spending time outside—something that we talk about a lot here...
Light artistry
Light has special effects on how we think and behave—ponder for example time you’ve spent beside fireplaces or in sun-filled conservatories—while also sending symbolic messages. Recently, at museum shows, artists have been putting light...
Bringing Plants inside – the benefits to help us live well.
Plants indoors and views of nature scenes outdoors are important tenets of biophilic design, as discussed in this article. A recent article on the BBC Online highlights recent design work that maximizes indoor and...
We eat healthier when we see nature… another “Biophilic” effect!
Via 5 experiments Langlois and Chandon learned that “individuals exposed to the natural environment choose healthier foods when compared to those exposed to urban environments or a control condition. Nature’s effects are observed for...
Nature connection and schooling… Biophilic Design and improved cognitive performance!
You and colleagues report, after a virtual reality-based study, that “the addition of biophilic elements in the Metaverse could benefit [young adult] students’ health due to significantly decreased perceived stress levels and increased connections...
Nature is Good for our HEALTH – it could save £108.7million!
Grellier and teammates report that “Physical activity (PA) reduces the risk of several non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Natural environments support recreational PA. . . . Population-representative data from the Monitor of Engagement with the Natural...
Kids, Trees and ADHD
Buczylowska and team share that they “examined the association between lifelong exposure to greenspace and ADHD diagnosis and potential underlying mechanisms (i.e., perceived greenspace, PA [ physical activity], neighbourhood social cohesion, and neighbourhood safety)...
Finding your way and playing video games
Yavuz and colleagues link playing video games and successfully navigating from one place and another. They “investigated the effect of video game experience and reliance on GPS on navigation ability using the mobile app...
Can Nature Heal Inflammation?
Ong, Cintron, and Fuligni link pleasant time spent in nature to lower inflammation levels: “Leveraging survey and biomarker data from 1,244 adults (mean age = 54.50 years, range = 34–84 years) from the Midlife...
Our perception of “Real” differs from person to person…
Pang’s work confirms how complex our relationship is with our world. As Pang reports “We experience only our brain’s internal representation of the outside world, which is limiting in two main ways. First, we...
Active Workstations!
A study done at the Mayo Clinic and lead by Lopez-Jimenez found “that active workstations incorporating a walking pad, bike, stepper and/or standing desk are successful strategies for reducing sedentary time and improving mental...
Designing for Beyond-Now Thinking – THE LONG READ
Here at The Space Doctors we generally keep what we talk about in the here and now, but we do acknowledge the importance of all of our spiritual lives and how much practices like...
Can Labyrinths ease Anxiety?
Labyrinths seem to be having something of a moment, as they do from time to time. A recent article on bbc.com—“Labyrinth Walking: An Ancient Activity That Could Help Ease Anxiety,” by Norman Miller (https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20240508-labyrinth-walking-an-ancient-activity-that-could-help-ease-anxiety)...
Designing for Sleep
We all need to sleep the amount that’s best for us and when we don’t spend as much time in Dreamland as our body requires all of our mental processes are compromised—we aren’t very...
Considering where to work
Many of us now have more choice where we work, at home at the office or anywhere else, at least some days. Neuroscience research makes it clear when some spaces can work out better...
We need Privacy….
Any human older than a toddler needs to be able to have privacy when they choose—privacy is not an option for our mental wellbeing. When we have privacy, we have control over who can...
Airports – Spaces the NEED Science
The airports on our planet need environmental psychology. A lot. They’re packed with people who are stressed, for any number of reasons—some are concerned about making connections, for example, and others are nervous about...
BBC celebrates Value of Building with Nature
Here at The Space Doctors we spend a lot of time singing the praises of views of nature and indoor plants. In a new article on bbc.com, excepts from Carolo Ratti’s introduction to The...
Feeling comfortable at airports – the credit card pod
Many airports across the United States are adding soothing refuges, applying some of the principles of neuroscience-informed biophilic design that we discuss in The Space Doctors’ articles. Christine Chung (2024, “Now Arriving at an...
Famous Furniture that’s mattered
Furniture regularly determines our mood in a space, with ramifications for our wellbeing, cognitive performance, as discussed in this article. In “The 25 Most Defining Pieces of Furniture from the Last 100 Years,” Nick...
What we see, hear and sense affects how we smell…
Pierzchajil and colleagues found that “The sense of smell is highly influenced by the cues from other senses, while the sense of sight and hearing are affected to a much lesser extent. . ....
What is the value of Greenspace to children’s development?
Using data collected from over 4 US states, Towe-Goodman and many colleagues link between living near green spaces (for instance, forests, parks, residential yards) and mental health. They report that “greater residential green space...
Speed at perceiving visual signals
In terms of speed of response to what we see, some of us have a clear advantage—which may explain why you’ve never excelled at sports. Haarlem and teammates determined that “some people have an...
More Findings related to ASMR
Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is a hot topic. Lohaus and associates reviewed related published research and determined that “ASMR can be linked to several mental health-related variables (e.g., improved mood) and personality traits...
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