Differential effects of simulated restorative environments on subjective and objective attentional outcomes

Virtual environments are increasingly used to promote cognitive and psychological well-being, yet the influence of environment type and user characteristics (e.g., age) remains unclear, particularly in low-immersion formats such as videos. Moreover, the relationship between subjective and objective measures of cognition warrants further investigation. This study examined the effects of brief exposure to simulated 2D natural, artistic, or control (office) environments on subjective Perceived Attentive Efficiency, objective Cognitive Performance, and Perceived Restorativeness in 88 participants (44 young, 44 older adults). Participants completed single-item ratings of perceived attentive efficiency and digitalized neuropsychological tasks pre- and post-exposure, while restorativeness was assessed only post-exposure. Bayesian repeated-measures ANOVAs showed that participants exposed to natural and artistic environments reported higher perceived attentive efficiency and restorativeness than those exposed to the control environment. However, no corresponding improvements were observed in the objective cognitive measures. These findings suggest that, under the present experimental conditions, brief exposure to simulated 2D environments was associated with changes in subjective but not objective attentional outcomes. The comparable pattern of results observed for natural and artistic environments further suggests that factors such as positive valence or aesthetic appeal may contribute to perceived benefits, although the specific mechanisms involved require further investigation. No age-related differences emerged, indicating broadly similar responses across younger and older adults. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of considering both subjective and objective indicators when evaluating restorative environmental interventions and provide preliminary support for the potential value of scalable, low-cost virtual experiences for promoting perceived cognitive and psychological well-being.