Impact of the perceived sensory dimensions of an atypical environment on perceived environmental restorativeness ( Impacto de las dimensiones sensoriales percibidas de un ambiente atípico sobre la percepción de restauración ambiental )

Abstract

This study documents the restorative influence of an atypical natural environment characterized in terms of its ecosystem as Tamaulipan Thornscrub (TT), considering a classification of urban green areas based on eight perceived sensory dimensions (PSD). A sample of 444 university students (62% women; age range 18–29) evaluated the restorative potential of a set of images from the TT ecosystem classified in one of the following PSD categories: Diverse, Natural, Open, Cohesive, Social, Cultural, Sheltered and Serene. Analysis conducted using non-parametric repeated measures tests showed that Diverse and Serene PSD are significantly more restorative than the other dimensions, while Natural and Cohesive are the least restorative. The TT ecosystem overall was perceived to possess moderate global restorative potential. The interaction between PSD, the TT ecosystem, perceived environmental restorativeness and its contribution to the promotion of public health is discussed. Finally, the use of certain PSD in green areas is suggested along with the consideration of studying specific eco-biological factors.