Long-term nature exposure shows inconsistent effects on processing speed, positive in the greened schoolyard study but null in the classroom green wall study¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r3 · q2
Currency · newest study 2022 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Using the Digit Letter Substitution test, van den Berg et al. found no significant effect of a living plants classroom wall, while van Dijk-Wesselius et al. reported a significant positive effect of a greened schoolyard. → Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick · Krystyna Gilowska 2022

Evidence¶

Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick · Krystyna Gilowska 2022¶

Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick · Krystyna Gilowska. (2022). Effects of Nature (Greenspace) on Cognitive Functioning in School Children and Adolescents: a Systematic Review. Educational Psychology Review (2022) 34:1217–1254. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-022-09658-5

q2 · i? · review · r3

The review reports these two long-term-exposure quasi-experiments with the Digit Letter Substitution test, in which participants convert digits to letters against a key within short time periods. The review attributes the inconsistency either to true inconsistency of nature exposure or to difficulty establishing causal effects for long-term studies.

"No significant positive effect was found on processing speed in the living plants classroom wall exposure study in Dutch primary school children (van den Berg et al., 2017). However, a significant positive effect was reported in the Greening of School study in Dutch school children aged 7–11 years (van Dijk-Wesselius et al., 2018)."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Processing Speed — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• In secondary school students, breaks with green views or walks in larger green spaces improve attention performance — related
• Short-term passive exposure to nature produces cognitive benefits in 12 of 14 reviewed studies across educational levels, mainly as directed attention restoration — related