Tanvi Lakhtakia

School: The University of Chicago

Major: Psychology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21985/n2-850w-ag41

Tanvi Lakhtakia is a recent graduate from the University of Chicago, where she received a B.A. in Psychology and Neuroscience. She is interested in clinical psychology research, particularly in the social determinants of mental health for racial and ethnic minorities. Her work at the Environmental Neuroscience Lab reflects this interest in social determinants by examining the influence of environments on cognition. In addition to her work in research, she is passionate about outreach and advocacy for mental health resources, in Asian American and other communities. She was heavily involved in the South Asian Student Association, United Against Inequities in Disease, and UC Psych. Her work is driven by her twelve years of education and upbringing in India prior to attending college, which demonstrated the unique experiences of Indian American identities and challenges. She hopes to pursue graduate education in clinical psychology in the next few years, and eventually go into practice and research. In her free time, she loves to dance, cook, and read, and is an avid fantasy and romance reader.

Seeing Green: The Influence of Natural Environments on Restoring Visual Attention

Abstract

Modern life typically involves high levels of visual attention, which can consequently become depleted and fatigued. According to Attention Restoration Theory nature can have a restorative effect on some forms of directed attention.1 These studies investigates whether virtual visual exposure to nature can have a restorative effect on visual attention. The first study (n=200) used a 2x2 between-subject design, in which participants were first exposed to images of natural or urban environment. Subsequently, they were required to view a second set of images that changed over 20 seconds, and identify where a detail in the image had changed. The hypothesis was that participants in the Nature exposure condition would have restored visual attention and detect more changes. Conversely, participants in the Urban exposure condition would exhibit change blindness—an inability to detect images— hinting at depleted visual attention. No significant difference was found between the Nature and Urban exposure conditions [t(18) = -0.271, p = 0.605]. The second study (n=95) modified the Exposure intervention to be Nature or Urban videos instead of images to increase immersiveness. Again, no significant differences were found between the Nature and Urban exposure conditions [W = 41, p = 0.764]. This is in line with results from other visual attention paradigms.2 Future studies could explore whether more immersive exposure to natural environments are restorative for visual attention.