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Feeling Stressed and Ugly? Leave the City and Visit Nature! An Experiment on Self- and Other-Perceived Stress and Attractiveness Levels

Author

Listed:
  • Claudia Menzel

    (Social, Environmental, and Economic Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
    These authors contributed equally.)

  • Fiona Dennenmoser

    (Social, Environmental, and Economic Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
    These authors contributed equally.)

  • Gerhard Reese

    (Social, Environmental, and Economic Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau, Germany)

Abstract

Natural environments, compared to urban environments, usually lead to reduced stress and positive body appreciation. We assumed that walks through nature and urban environments affect self- and other-perceived stress and attractiveness levels. Therefore, we collected questionnaire data and took photographs of male participants’ faces before and after they took walks. In a second step, female participants rated the photographs. As expected, participants felt more restored and attractive, and less stressed after they walked in nature compared to an urban environment. A significant interaction of environment (nature, urban) and time (pre, post) indicated that the men were rated by the women as being more stressed after the urban walk. Other-rated attractiveness levels, however, were similar for both walks and time points. In sum, we showed that the rather stressful experience of a short-term urban walk mirrors in the face of men and is detectable by women.

Suggested Citation

  • Claudia Menzel & Fiona Dennenmoser & Gerhard Reese, 2020. "Feeling Stressed and Ugly? Leave the City and Visit Nature! An Experiment on Self- and Other-Perceived Stress and Attractiveness Levels," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-14, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:22:p:8519-:d:446421
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Claudia Menzel & Gregor U Hayn-Leichsenring & Oliver Langner & Holger Wiese & Christoph Redies, 2015. "Fourier Power Spectrum Characteristics of Face Photographs: Attractiveness Perception Depends on Low-Level Image Properties," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(4), pages 1-27, April.
    2. Oberle, Eva & Schonert-Reichl, Kimberly A., 2016. "Stress contagion in the classroom? The link between classroom teacher burnout and morning cortisol in elementary school students," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 30-37.
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