Short Video-based Nature Exposures and Cognition: The Impacts of Nature on Memory

Exposure to natural environments has been shown to produce robust effects on attention-related functions (Berman et al., 2008; Stenfors et al., 2019; Stevenson et al., 2018; Bratman et al., 2015; Stevenson et al., 2018). Attention restoration theory (ART) proposes that stimuli in compatible environments engage individuals in involuntary attention, allowing more effortful top-down processes to replenish (Kaplan, 1995; Pham & Sanocki, 2024). However, ART research does not account for differences in compatibility, nor does it investigate other domains of cognition that may indirectly benefit from attention restoration, such as long-term memory. To address these gaps, we investigated how environmental exposure (either nature or urban) would affect mnemonic discrimination, and if environmental preference played a role in such effects. In the current study, 58 young adults completed environmental preference measures, watched 10-minute environmental exposure videos (nature or urban), then completed an abstract object recognition task. We did not find any significant differences between nature and urban conditions. However, when factoring in preference, we observed preferred environment exposure was associated with increased mnemonic discrimination. These findings suggest that environmental video exposure may enhance long-term memory performance if the environment shown aligns with the individual’s preference. This could prove useful for the framework of ART, promoting the importance of individual differences. Future work could investigate how preferred environment exposure (nature or urban) could support long-term memory ability in populations with age-related memory decline.