Do Humans Really Prefer Semi-open Natural Landscapes? A Cross-Cultural Reappraisal

Area of Science:

• Environmental Psychology
• Cultural Anthropology
• Ecology

Background:

• Current landscape preference theories often assume universal human consensus for moderately open natural landscapes.
• This assumption is primarily derived from studies conducted with Western, urban populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate landscape preferences across diverse indigenous populations.
• To compare these preferences with Western samples, challenging the universality of existing theories.

Main Methods:

• Utilized pairwise forced choice assessments of digital landscape visualizations.
• Systematically varied topography and vegetation density across landscapes.
• Included two Western student samples and five non-Western indigenous communities.

Main Results:

• Western and non-Western samples exhibited distinct landscape preferences.
• Interaction effects between topography and vegetation were significant only in Western samples.
• Five indigenous groups consistently preferred the highest vegetation density, contradicting Western ideals.

Conclusions:

• Landscape preference is not universally consistent, with significant cultural variations observed.
• Consensus in preference exists within specific cultural or demographic groups (Western vs. non-Western).
• Findings challenge the broad applicability of theories based solely on Western urban populations.