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. 2017 May 31:8:914.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00914. eCollection 2017.

A Different Way to Stay in Touch with 'Urban Nature': The Perceived Restorative Qualities of Botanical Gardens

Giuseppe Carrus  1 , Massimiliano Scopelliti  2 , Angelo Panno  1 , Raffaele Lafortezza  3 , Giuseppe Colangelo  3 , Sabine Pirchio  4 , Francesco Ferrini  5 , Fabio Salbitano  6 , Mariagrazia Agrimi  7 , Luigi Portoghesi  7 , Paolo Semenzato  8 , Giovanni Sanesi  3
Affiliations

A Different Way to Stay in Touch with 'Urban Nature': The Perceived Restorative Qualities of Botanical Gardens

Giuseppe Carrus et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Botanical gardens represent interesting arenas for research in environmental psychology and environment-behavior relations. They can be considered a very particular type of restorative environment and also have a relevant social function for the promotion of a more sustainable lifestyle in current societies. In this paper, we present a study assessing the relationship between the perceived restorativeness, the psychological and physical benefits experienced, and the subjective well-being reported by visitors of botanical gardens in four different cities in Italy (N = 127). As expected, a bootstrapping mediation model supported the idea that perceived restorativeness of botanical gardens significantly predicts visitors' subjective well-being, both directly and indirectly through perceived physical and psychological benefits of the visit. A moderation model also revealed that the relationship between restorativeness and well-being varies across respondents with different socio-demographic characteristics, being stronger for singles as compared to couples with and without children, respectively. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Keywords: botanical garden; perceived restorativeness; physical benefits; psychological benefits; subjective well-being.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Sample images of the selected botanical gardens in Bari, Rome, Florence, and Padua.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Mediating model which shows the effect of restorativeness on well-being after the visit through physical and psychological benefits felt during the visit. NOTE: Path values represent unstandardized regression coefficients. The (c∗) value represents the effect, from bootstrapping analyses, of the restorativeness on well-being after the mediators are included. Dotted line (c) represents the total effect of the restorativeness on well-being prior to the inclusion of the mediating variables. ∗p < 0.05; ∗∗p < 0.001.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Moderation of the effect of restorativeness on well-being by household composition.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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