Psychophysiological restoration in natural versus built cultural environments: a Chinese field-EEG study

Prior research has highlighted the psychophysiological benefits of natural environments while underestimating the restorative potential of built cultural environments. Moreover, most evidence derives from laboratory studies with limited ecological validity. A field experiment compared the restorative effects of art museums and botanical gardens on psychophysiological states, using electroencephalogram (EEG) and the abbreviated Profile of Mood States (POMS). Key findings were: (1) Both environments enhanced psychophysiological well-being, with natural environments promoting physical restoration and built cultural environments fostering psychological restoration; (2) Natural environments more effectively reduced negative affect, whereas cultural environments more strongly increased positive affect; (3) Natural environments provided restorative benefits to a larger proportion of participants; (4) Changes in psychological indicators partially explained variations in physiological indicators. These results inform the strategic use of diverse environments to support mental and physical health and advance restoration research.