Amplifying Well-Being in Campus Spaces: A Comparative Case Study Employing the Frameworks of Attention Restoration Theory and Therapeutic Landscapes

Presenter

Michael Francis Distefano

Campus

UMass Amherst

Sponsor

Caryn Brause, Department of Architecture, UMass Amherst

Schedule

Session 5, 3:30 PM - 4:15 PM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board A80, Campus Center Auditorium, Row 4 (A61-A80) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed a decline in mental health among college students in the United States. Based on findings from the American College Health Association, feelings of stress and isolation continue to grow among those in postsecondary education. Research has shown academic stress can be partially mitigated by the use of Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory (ART), which involves the use of environmental greenness to mend an individual’s exerted attention. Feelings of isolation can also be alleviated through the implementation of ideas from Gesler’s Therapeutic Landscapes framework, creating a built environment that promotes feelings of belonging through its anthropological approach via meeting social and cultural needs. This thesis investigates college campus spaces and examines how they promote positive well-being for university students by analyzing them through these two environmental psychology frameworks. A central component of the study involves developing a framework that operates at the intersection of ART and the Therapeutic Landscapes framework. By incorporating the natural elements of ART while employing social and cultural factors noted by the Therapeutic Landscapes framework, there exists a potential to create environments that restore individuals’ attention while promoting positive mental health and well-being. The implications for this work may be valuable to future researchers and university professionals who wish to explore the role of campus landscapes in student well-being.

Keywords

Therapeutic Landscapes, Attention Restoration Theory, Greenness, College Campus, Environmental Psychology

Research Area

Psychology and Behavioral Sciences

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