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Nature versus non-natural environments: Effects on stress and creativity
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Nature versus non-natural environments: Effects on stress and creativity

Amy J. Lim, Stephen M. Colarelli, Norman P. Li, Liqun Wei, Ming-Hong Tsai, Xiao-xiao Liu and Mark van Vugt
Journal of environmental psychology, Vol.110, 102929
2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2026.102929
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CC BY V4.0,  Open Access

Abstract

Built environment Creativity Evolutionary mismatch Nature Stress
We examined the effects of nature-based environmental stimuli versus evolutionarily novel built or abstract art environments on creative production in three experiments. In Study 1 (N = 85), we compared people's creative performance in rooms set up to display either a natural or built landscape. In Study 2 (N = 62), participants completed creativity tasks after taking a walk in an urbanized city district or after a walk in a forested park. In Study 3 (N = 108), using a longitudinal field experiment taking place over three months, we examined the creative performance of factory employees by comparing their normal unadorned workplaces with workspaces decorated with posters of nature or abstract art. Collectively, our findings show that nature exposure did not have a unique effect on creativity. Specifically, creative performance was similar across nature and in non-natural environmental stimuli. We discuss the implications of our findings and the importance of examining the effects of other environmental stimuli on creativity.

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