Research related to Wonder Connection

Hospitalized Adults & Nature

 Ulrich, R. S. (1984).  View through a window may influence recovery from surgery.  Science, 224(4647), 420-421.   Peer-reviewed early correlations were noted between various measures of post-surgical recovery and the views available from hospital windows.

Verderber, S. (1986).  Dimensions of person-window transactions in hospital environment.  Environment & Behavior, 18(4), 450-466.   Peer-reviewed empirical research studied the degree of satisfaction and associated behaviors of patients as correlated with available views, daylight and space of hospital room windows.

Chambers, N. (2003).  Horticultural therapy and infection control in the healthcare environment.  Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, 14, 57-61.  Literature review in peer-reviewed journal concludes that the benefits of exposure to plants and soil-related activities surpasses the risks of infection among most hospitalized patients.  Infection control guidelines developed by horticultural therapists with infection control specialists are provided. 

McClenahan, J. (2003).  On being a patient: the greenhouse effect.  Annals of Internal Medicine, 138(5), 434.  Regular column in peer-reviewed medical journal discusses the therapeutic effects of flowers.

Park, S.-H, Mattson, R.H., & Kim, E. (2002).  Pain tolerance effects of ornamental plants in a simulated hospital patient room.  Acta Horticulturae, 639, 241-247.  Research report in peer-reviewed journal reports significant improvement of all studied bio-metric and self-report measures of pain in the experimental group exposed to plants during and after painful stimuli.  Adding flowering plants had more positive effects than foliage plants.

Seong-Hyun Park & Mattson, R.H. (2008).   Effects of flowering and foliage plants in hospital rooms on patients recovering from abdominal surgery.  HortTechnology, 18(4), 563-568.  Peer-reviewed research report suggests that foliage and flowering plant are a useful addition to traditional recovery care since all subjective and objective measures were improved over those patients in room that had no plants.  Measured factors included blood pressure, analgesic intake, rating of pain, anxiety and fatigue, and satisfaction with their rooms.

Ulrich, R, et al. Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments. J Environ Psychol 1991 ; 201-30

Ulrich, R, et al. Effects of environmental simulations and television on blood donor stress. J Arch Planning Res 2003; 20: 38-47

Vincent, Ellen and Battisto Dina and Grimes Larry. 2010. "The effects of presence and influence in nature images in a simulated hospital patient room."  HERD 3 (3):56--69.

Schlenker, E. (2000).  Outdoor healing spaces:  A personal and professional journey.  Reflections on Nursing Leadership, 26(4), 36-37.  Personal account of use of outdoor spaces in peer-reviewed journal of nursing honor society.

Adults and Nature

Herzog, Thomas R. and Black Andrea M. and Fountaine Kimberlee A. and Knotts Deborah J. 1997. "Reflection and Attentional Recovery as Distinctive Benefits of Restorative Environments."  Journal of Environmental Psychology 17 (2):165--170. doi: 10.1006/JEVP.1997.0051.

Kaplan, Stephen. 1995. "The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrative framework."  Journal of Environmental Psychology 15 (3):169--182. doi: 10.1016/0272-4944(95)90001-2.

Kim, Gwang-Won and Jeong Gwang-Woo and Kim Tae-Hoon and Baek Han-Su and Oh Seok-Kyun and Kang Heoung-Keun and Lee Sam-Gyu and Kim Yoon Soo and Song Jin-Kyu. 2010. "Functional neuroanatomy associated with natural and urban scenic views in the human brain: 3.0T functional MR imaging."  Korean Journal of Radiology 11 (5):507--13. doi: 10.3348/kjr.2010.11.5.507.

Shin, Won Sop and Shin Chang Seob and Yeoun Poung Sik and Kim Jae Joon. 2011. "The influence of interaction with forest on cognitive function."  Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 26 (6):595--598. doi: 10.1080/02827581.2011.585996.

Selhub, Eva M. and Logan, Alan C. Your Brain on Nature. 1. Ontario: John Wiley & Sons Canada, 2012. 

Kids and Nature

Wells, N. (2000).  At home with nature:  The effects of greenness on children's cognitive functioning.  Environment and Behavior, 32(6), 775-795.  Peer-reviewed longitudinal study relates the availability of "greenness" to higher levels of cognitive functioning in children.

Korpela, A.,  Kytta, M. & Hartig, T.  (2002).  Restorative experience, self-regulation and children's place preferences.  Journal of Environmental Psychology, 22(4), 387-398.  Peer-reviewed research studied the uses children made of their favorite places.  Over one-half used their favorite place for cognitive restoration and over one-third sought out their favorite place for emotional regulation.  Many parents did not know where their child's favorite place was and by implication had not been facilitators in its use.

Taylor, A.F., Kuo, F.E. & Sullivan, W.C. (2001).  Coping with ADD:  The surprising connections to green play settings.  Environment and Behavior, 33(1), 54-77.  Survey study in peer-reviewed journal supports attention restoration theory.  Children with ADD were noted to function better than usual after activities in green settings and the "greener" the setting, the less severe were symptoms. 

Taylor, A.F., Kuo, F.E., & Sullivan, W. (2002).  Views of nature and self-discipline:  Evidence from inner city children.  Journal of Environmental Psychology, 22(1-2), 49-63.   Peer-reviewed research studied the correlation between self-discipline and near-home nature in inner-city children.

Kuo, Frances E. and Taylor, Andrea Faber. 2004. "A potential natural treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: evidence from a national study."  American Journal of Public Health 94 (9):1580--6. 

Children/Teens in the Hospital

 Fried, G.G. & Wichrowski, M.J. (2008).  Horticultural therapy: a psychosocial treatment option at the Stephen D. Hassenfeld Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.  Primary Psychiatry. 15(7) 73-78.  Peer-reviewed journal describes HT program and benefits for children having cancer.

Geller, G. & Warren, L. (2004).  Toward an optimal healing environment in Pediatric rehabilitation.   Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine, 10(1), s179-s192.  Review article in a peer-reviewed journal discusses the multiple aspects of pediatric rehabilitation programs, the role of multiple therapies and suggestions for necessary research.

Jessee, P., Strickland, M., Leeper, J., & Hudson, C. (1986). Nature Experiences for Hospitalized Children. Children’s Health Care, 15(1), 55-57.

Jessee, P., Strickland, M., Leeper, J., & Hudson, C. (1987). The Effect of Nature-Based Experiences on Children’s Adjustment to the Hospital: A Comparative Study. Journal of Environmental Education, 19(1), 10-15.

Marcus, C.C. (2003).  Healing havens:  Children's gardens at Legacy Emanuel Children's Hospital, Portland, Oregon.  Landscape Architecture, 92(8), 84. Trade journal.

Whitehouse, S., Varni, J., & Seid, M. (2001).   Evaluating a children's hospital garden environment:  Utilization and consumer satisfaction.  Journal of Environmental Psychology, 21, 301-314.  Review and survey research in peer-reviewed journal, reviews restorative uses of gardens by adults and children in a hospital environment.

Benefits of Positive Emotions

The Role of Positive Emotions in Positive Psychology: The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions.  BL Fredrickson- American Psychologist, 2011. 

Fredrickson, Barbara. 2003. The Value of Positive Emotions. American Scientist.