Attentional Restoration, Emotional Modulation, and Fatigue Mitigation: The Contributing Role of Biophilia

Biophilia, defined as the innate human affinity for nature, has emerged as an important framework for understanding how natural environments support attentional functioning, cognitive recovery, emotional regulation, and broader psychological functioning. Increasing evidence suggests that exposure to natural elements, such as greenery, natural light, and landscapes, plays a significant role in attentional restoration, emotional modulation, and fatigue intervention.According to Attention Restoration Theory, nature facilitates recovery from directed attention fatigue by engaging effortless, ‘soft fascination’, allowing cognitive resources to replenish. In parallel, Stress Recovery Theory proposes that natural environments promote positive affect and reduce physiological stress. These putative processes are hypothesized to jointly contribute to mitigating mental fatigue, a growing concern in highly urbanized and cognitively demanding settings. However, the mechanisms linking attention, emotion, and fatigue remain insufficiently integrated, and the effectiveness of biophilic interventions appears context-dependent. Understanding the role of biophilia is therefore critical for developing evidence-based strategies to enhance well-being, cognitive functioning, and performance in modern built environments.Despite growing evidence, several key problems remain in research on biophilia-driven attentional restoration, emotional modulation, and fatigue mitigation/intervention. First of all, mechanistic fragmentation persists, with cognitive (attention), affective (emotion), and physiological (fatigue) processes often studied in isolation rather than as an integrated system. In addition, findings on cognitive benefits are inconsistent or even controversial, partly due to variability in tasks, exposure durations, and individual differences, particularly because task characteristics have not yet been standardized. Furthermore, limited ecological validity is common, since many studies rely on short-term laboratory designs rather than real-world, longitudinal settings. Moreover, the ‘dose-response’ relationship of biophilic exposure (e.g., type, intensity, duration) remains unclear, and poorly designed environments may even cause distraction. Finally, measurement limitations, including reliance on self-reports, significantly hinder precise evaluation.To address these gaps, studies should adopt integrative, multi-level frameworks that link attention, emotion, and mental fatigue. Advances in immersive virtual reality enable controlled yet realistic simulations of nature, while wearable sensors (e.g., HRV, EEG) could provide objective markers of restoration. Large-scale, longitudinal, and field-based studies are needed to enhance generalizability. Additionally, personalized and adaptive biophilic design, informed by AI and user data, can optimize intervention effectiveness across diverse populations and contexts.This Research Topic examines how biophilia-driven exposure to natural elements influences attentional restoration, emotional modulation, and fatigue mitigation/intervention across cognitive, affective, and physiological domains. It spans controlled experiments, real-world applications, design and intervention strategies in built environments (e.g., living and working environments, driving environments), integrating environmental psychology, neuroscience, and human-centered design to develop evidence-based interventions. Specific themes of this research topic are listed below:1) Mechanisms linking attention, emotion, and fatigue in biophilic contexts 2) Testing and integration of Attention Restoration Theory and Stress Recovery Theory 3) Dose-response relationships of nature exposure (type, duration, intensity) 4) Real vs. virtual/immersive nature (VR/AR) effects 5) Cognitive and affective effects of biophilic design in workplaces, healthcare, and educational settings 6) Objective measurement (e.g., EEG, HRV) and multi-modal assessment 7) Individual differences and personalization of interventions targeting attention and mental fatigue 8) Longitudinal and real-world (ecological) studies 9) Fatigue mitigation in high-demand populations (e.g., clinicians, students) 10) AI-driven and adaptive biophilic environments Topic editors: Hui Zhu, Fan Zhang, Xiaojun Fan Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79612/attentional-restoration-emotional-modulation-and-fatigue-mitigation-the-contributing-role-of-biophilia