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Watching (natural) beauty boosts task performance: testing the nature-as-reward hypothesis
Yannick Joye1, Florian Lange2, Asta Lisauskienė3
1Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania. joye.yannick@evaf.vu.lt.
Psychological Research
|January 29, 2024
Summary
Exposure to beautiful nature images can boost cognitive task performance by acting as a reward. However, framing tasks as a game can diminish this beauty advantage.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Environmental Psychology
Background:
- The nature-as-reward hypothesis posits that improved cognitive performance after nature exposure stems from the reward value of aesthetically pleasing stimuli.
- Understanding the psychological impact of nature imagery is crucial for well-being and productivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To empirically test the nature-as-reward hypothesis using controlled online experiments.
- To investigate whether exposure to beautiful nature-related images enhances cognitive task performance.
- To examine the moderating effect of task framing (game vs. standard) on this relationship.
Main Methods:
- Two between-subjects online studies were conducted.
- Participants viewed either beautiful or less beautiful images (mountains, fractals) for 10 seconds.
- Cognitive performance was assessed via a ticking task, with variations in task framing (game vs. standard) in Study 1.
Main Results:
- In Study 1, participants viewing beautiful mountain images maintained consistent ticking performance, unlike those viewing less beautiful drawings.
- Framing the task as a game in Study 1 eliminated the performance difference between beauty conditions.
- Study 2 showed increased ticking performance after viewing beautiful fractals compared to less beautiful pixelated images.
Conclusions:
- Brief exposure to beautiful nature-related images can enhance motivation and cognitive task performance, supporting the nature-as-reward hypothesis.
- The motivational benefits of aesthetic nature stimuli can be attenuated when tasks are framed as games.
- These findings highlight the potential of nature imagery to positively influence work engagement and performance.
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