Tue, Oct 27, 2026
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1- Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning
Abstract: (28 Views)
Introduction: Mental fatigue is a concern in industrial work environments. Exposure to auditory and visual representations of nature may provide a potential means of enhancing perceived restorativeness in such settings. This study aimed to assess the perceived restorativeness of auditory and visual nature stimuli among industrial workers.
Methods: This quantitative, quasi-experimental study was conducted among 100 workers at Razan Industrial Estate. Perceived restorativeness was assessed using four items adapted from Goudini and Hemmati (2020), reflecting four components of Attention Restoration Theory: being away, fascination, extent, and compatibility. Responses were recorded on a five-point Likert scale. Participants evaluated four types of nature stimuli—water-based, forest/biotic, ground-based natural phenomena, and composite stimuli—under three presentation modes: auditory-only, auditory with static visual images, and auditory with dynamic visual images. The data were analyzed using two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA).
Findings: The main effect of presentation mode was statistically significant, F(2, 198) = 6.10, p = .003, ηp² = .058. Perceived restorativeness was higher in both audiovisual conditions than in the auditory-only condition, whereas the difference between static and dynamic visual presentations was not statistically significant. The main effect of nature stimulus type was also significant, F(3, 297) = 13.90, p < .001, ηp² = .123. Forest/biotic and water-based stimuli received higher perceived restorativeness scores than ground-based natural phenomena and composite stimuli. The interaction between presentation mode and stimulus type was not significant, F(5.12, 506.92) = 0.44, p = .825.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that combining nature sounds with visual representations of nature is associated with higher perceived restorativeness than presenting nature sounds alone. However, no significant difference was found between static and dynamic visual presentations. The findings should be interpreted in relation to the specific stimuli used in this study. As the study assessed perceived restorativeness, it does not establish whether these stimuli reduce actual mental fatigue, restore attentional capacity, or improve work performance.
Methods: This quantitative, quasi-experimental study was conducted among 100 workers at Razan Industrial Estate. Perceived restorativeness was assessed using four items adapted from Goudini and Hemmati (2020), reflecting four components of Attention Restoration Theory: being away, fascination, extent, and compatibility. Responses were recorded on a five-point Likert scale. Participants evaluated four types of nature stimuli—water-based, forest/biotic, ground-based natural phenomena, and composite stimuli—under three presentation modes: auditory-only, auditory with static visual images, and auditory with dynamic visual images. The data were analyzed using two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA).
Findings: The main effect of presentation mode was statistically significant, F(2, 198) = 6.10, p = .003, ηp² = .058. Perceived restorativeness was higher in both audiovisual conditions than in the auditory-only condition, whereas the difference between static and dynamic visual presentations was not statistically significant. The main effect of nature stimulus type was also significant, F(3, 297) = 13.90, p < .001, ηp² = .123. Forest/biotic and water-based stimuli received higher perceived restorativeness scores than ground-based natural phenomena and composite stimuli. The interaction between presentation mode and stimulus type was not significant, F(5.12, 506.92) = 0.44, p = .825.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that combining nature sounds with visual representations of nature is associated with higher perceived restorativeness than presenting nature sounds alone. However, no significant difference was found between static and dynamic visual presentations. The findings should be interpreted in relation to the specific stimuli used in this study. As the study assessed perceived restorativeness, it does not establish whether these stimuli reduce actual mental fatigue, restore attentional capacity, or improve work performance.
Keywords: Mental fatigue, Attention Restoration Theory, perceived restorativeness, industrial environments, nature representation
Type of Study: Research |
Received: 2026/06/5 | Accepted: 2026/10/27
Received: 2026/06/5 | Accepted: 2026/10/27
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