In the Eye of the Beholder: Exploring and Sustaining the Health Benefits of Interacting with Natural Environments

Supervisors: Dr David Pearson, Dr Flora Douglas and Dr Tony Craig (JHI)

The project will address how regular health-based interaction with natural heritage can be encouraged and sustained. There is growing evidence that direct experience of natural environments improves general health and promotes healthy aging by reducing mental and physical stresses. Importantly, however, the mechanism through which experiencing natural environments provide restorative health benefits remains poorly understood. The focus of the project will be guided by the health map for local human habitat proposed by Barton and Grant (2006) which provides a conceptual framework for health determinants in natural and built environments. A mixed methods approach will be adopted that combines qualitative assessment of attitudes and beliefs related to natural heritage with quantitative measurement of related behavioural and physiological responses. This will include using portable eye-tracking equipment to record which elements of a landscape individuals focus on while walking through different environments. The applicant should have a keen interest in health and well being and its relationship with place or the environment. An interest in the use of mixed methods and the recording and analysis of eye movement data would also be an advantage.