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The autonomic nervous system in its natural environment: Immersion in nature is associated with changes in heart rate and heart rate variability
Author(s) -
Scott Emily E.,
LoTemplio Sara B.,
McDonnell Amy S.,
McNay Glen D.,
Greenberg Kevin,
McKinney Ty,
Uchino Bert N.,
Strayer David L.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/psyp.13698
Subject(s) - heart rate , mood , psychology , autonomic nervous system , heart rate variability , vagal tone , sympathetic nervous system , context (archaeology) , immersion (mathematics) , developmental psychology , audiology , physiology , medicine , blood pressure , clinical psychology , paleontology , mathematics , pure mathematics , biology
Stress Recovery Theory (SRT) suggests that time spent in nature reduces stress. While many studies have examined changes in stress physiology after exposure to nature imagery, nature virtual reality, or nature walks, this study is the first to examine changes in heart rate (HR) and vagally mediated HR variability, as assessed by Respiratory Sinus Arrythmia (RSA), after a longer duration of nature exposure. Consistent with SRT, we hypothesized that immersion in nature would promote stress recovery, as indexed by an increase in RSA and a decrease in HR. We also predicted that exposure to nature would improve self‐reported mood. We used a within‐subjects design ( N = 67) to assess changes in peripheral physiology before, during, and after a 5‐day nature trip. Results demonstrated a significant decrease in RSA and a significant increase in HR during the trip compared to before or after the trip, suggesting that immersion in nature is associated with a shift toward parasympathetic withdrawal and possible sympathetic activation. These results were contrary to our hypotheses and may suggest increased attentional intake or presence of emotions associated with an increase in sympathetic activation. We also found an improvement in self‐reported measures of mood during the trip compared to before or after the trip, confirming our hypotheses and replicating previous research. Implications of this study are discussed in the context of SRT.