Nature images are more visually engaging than urban images: evidence from neural oscillations in the brain

Abstract

Attention Restoration Theory posits that urban environments place high demand on our attentional systems, which can fatigue over time and lead to impairments in performance. On the contrary, natural environments are proposed to visually engage our attention but in a less demanding way, allowing for the recuperation of attentional resources and subsequent improvements in attentional performance. However, the neural mechanisms underlying these varying attentional demands remain poorly understood. The current study utilized electroencephalography (EEG) to explore attention-related brain activity when individuals view images of nature and urban environments