评论
打印
It's probably no surprise that nature is beneficial to our mental health.
自然对我们的心理健康有益，这可能并不奇怪。
From hitting the beach, to taking a long stroll through the park,
从去海滩到在公园散步，
multiple studies have shown that there's something about nature
多项研究已经表明自然的某种东西
that helps us feel happier, more focused, or just generally better.
能够让我们感到更快乐、更专注或者总体感觉更良好。
But why that happens is trickier to figure out.
但要搞清为什么会这样很难。
From what psychologists can tell, though, it's not just about getting in some sunshine and Vitamin D.
不过，从心理学家的角度来看，这不仅仅是晒太阳和获得维生素D的原因。
Instead, it might have to do with our sense of belonging.
相反，这可能与我们的归属感有关。
The idea that nature is healing isn't a new one,
自然能够治愈的观点并不新鲜，
and exposure to natural environments has been an important part of mental health treatments for a long time.
长期以来，接触自然环境一直是心理健康治疗的重要组成部分。
As early as the Middle Ages, monasteries for those with mental illnesses created so-called restorative gardens.
早在中世纪，为精神疾病患者修建的修道院就创建了所谓的疗养花园。
And in the 1800s, people designing mental hospitals would try
在19世纪，设计精神病院的人会尝试
and make sure their buildings were surrounded by acres of natural land.
并保证他们的建筑物被大片的自然风景所包围。
So far, modern research really supports this idea, too.
到目前为止，现代研究也确实支持这一观点。
Studies have shown that being exposed to nature, whether it's a wilderness preserve or a tree-lined city street,
研究已经表明，接触大自然，不管它是荒野保护区还是绿树成荫的城市街道，
can improve wellbeing in a bunch of ways, both in those with and without clinical conditions.
都能让有或没有临床症状的人在很多方面改善幸福感。
For example, a 2011 meta-analysis looked at studies involving a total of almost 850 participants, mostly students.
例如，2011年的一项荟萃分析着眼于对近850名参与者的研究，其中大部分是学生。
It found that exercising in a natural environment
它发现在自然环境中锻炼
resulted in higher feelings of revitalization than doing the same exercise indoors.
比在室内做同样的锻炼更能让人感觉有活力。
And another study from 2012 found that walking through nature for 50 minutes
2012年的另一项研究发现，在自然中漫步50分钟
provided a mood boost and other cognitive benefits for twenty participants with depression.
为20位患有抑郁症的参与者提供了情绪提高和其他认知上的好处。
There's also evidence to suggest that those with schizophrenia, ADHD,
还有证据表明精神分裂症（ADHD）患者
and a whole host of other illnesses experience similar benefits from just taking in a little scenery.
还有很多患有其他疾病的人只要欣赏一点儿风景，就会获得类似的好处。
So far, there are several factors that have been floated around as possible explanations for this.
到目前为止，已有几个因素被提出作为它的可能解释了。
One is that nature allows us to recover from stress and attention fatigue.
一种观点是大自然让我们从压力和注意力疲劳中恢复过来。
This is the idea that urban environments have too many things competing for our attention.
该观点认为城市环境有太多的东西在争夺我们的注意力
Other studies suggest that nature offers exercise opportunities, facilitation of social interaction and development,
其他研究表明，自然通常能提供锻炼机会，促进社会互动和发展，
and opportunities for personal development in general.
以及提供个人发展的机会。
But a lot of these factors haven't been investigated in rigorous depth.
但这些因素中有很多还没有得到深入研究。
They also don't really explain the mechanisms of how we gain psychological benefits just from existing in nature,
我们只是接触自然，而不是在大自然中跑来跑去，和朋友一起享受大自然就能获得心理益处，
rather than running around in nature, chilling with friends with nature.
这其中的机制它们还不能真正解释清楚。
In fact, most research on the subject seems to describe the mechanisms as 'elusive'.
事实上，大多数关于这一课题的研究似乎都将这一机制描述为“难以捉摸”。
Which is psychologist speak for, "We dunno. We're workin' on it."
心理学家会说：“我们不知道，我们正研究它呢。”
Still, that doesn't mean we don't have a hypotheses or two.
尽管如此，这并不意味着我们没有一两个假设。
Some researchers argue that these positive effects,
一些研究人员认为，这些积极影响的产生
at least in part, come about because of an increased sense of connectedness to the natural world.
至少在某种程度上是因为人们与自然世界的联系更紧密了。
One significant experiment about this was published in 2009 in Environment and Behavior,
2009年，《环境与行为》杂志发表了一个关于它的重要实验，
and it looked at the effect of exposure to nature on mood and problem solving.
该实验研究了接触自然对情绪和解决问题的影响。
In this study, 76 students were asked to complete questionnaires on mood,
在这项研究中，76名学生被要求完成关于情绪的问卷调查，
along with the Connectedness with Nature Scale, or CNS, which measures pretty much what the name implies.
它采用的是自然联结量表（CNS），衡量的内容大致与名字的含义相同。
It asks participants to rate how they feel about some vaguely hippy-ish stuff,
它要求参与者评价他们对有点儿嬉皮的东西的感觉，
like 'Right now I'm feeling a sense of oneness with the natural world'.
比如‘现在我感觉和自然世界是统一的。’
Or 'I'm feeling like the natural world is a community to which I belong'.
或者‘我觉得自然世界是我所属的社区。’
After rating 13 of those peace and love statements,
在评价了13个这样和平与爱的陈述后，
the students were split into two groups, and bundled onto buses for a field trip.
这些学生分成两组，并匆匆搭上巴士进行实地考察。
They took a 20-minute drive to either a nature reserve or a downtown parking lot.
他们驱车20分钟来到自然保护区或市中心的停车场。
Then, they spent around 15 minutes silently walking, sitting,
然后他们花了大约15分钟静静地散步、坐着、
and taking in the scenery before filling out those questionnaires again.
欣赏风景，之后再次填写这些调查问卷。
The results showed that participants who went to the nature reserve
结果表明，去自然保护区的参与者
reported significantly more of a mood boost from their trip.
报告称他们的旅行大大改善了自己的情绪。
Their feelings of being connected to nature were also higher than those who took a stroll in the parking lot.
与那些在停车场散步的人相比，他们与自然的亲密感也更高了。
Now, this in itself isn't massively surprising.
这本身并不太令人惊讶。
You can imagine it's probably hard to feel at one with the universe standing on a stretch of concrete.
你可以想象，站在一大片混凝土上可能很难感到与宇宙合一。
What was more interesting is that the CNS survey results seemed to mediate the effects of the environment.
更有趣的是，CNS的调查结果似乎间接影响了环境的作用。
More specifically, when people reported that they felt part of nature, their mood boost tended to be bigger.
更具体点儿说就是，当人们报告说他们属于自然时，他们的情绪提高幅度更大。
So it wasn't just about seeing nature; it was about feeling like they are part of it.
所以这不仅仅是欣赏自然的问题，而是归属感的问题。
The scientists behind this experiment argue that it's that sense of connectedness that causes all those positive benefits.
这项实验背后的科学家们认为，正是这种关联感带来了所有这些积极好处。
And they cite something called the biophilia hypothesis as a possible mechanism for this.
他们引用了一种“亲生命性假说”作为可能机制。
The hypothesis theorizes that since, evolutionarily speaking,
假设理论认为，从进化的角度来说，
we're used living in natural environments, we all have some innate urge to seek out nature.
我们习惯于生活在自然环境中，都有寻找自然的天性。
The researchers suggest that we need to see ourselves as part of it,
研究人员建议我们应该把自己视为自然的一部分，
belonging to the same group as the various plant and wildlife species we share our planet with.
与和我们共享地球的各种植物和野生动物同属于一个群体。
It can be hard to prove evolutionary hypotheses like this, especially when they're as abstract as this one.
我们很难证明这样的进化假设，尤其是它们像这个假设一样抽象的时候。
But the concept that we need to belong to groups to stay mentally healthy
但是我们需要属于一个群体来保持精神健康的概念
is one of the main principles of social psychology research.
是社会心理学研究的主要原则之一。
In fact, it's such an important concept
事实上，它是一个非常重要的概念
that having a sense of belonging with other people is seen as a core human need in some models.
在某些模型中，归属于其他人的感觉被视为人类的核心需求。
Not having this sense of belonging can lead to things like lowered immune response, and poorer sleep quality.
没有这种归属感会导致免疫力与睡眠质量下降。
And, conveniently, those are exactly the kind of functions researchers have seen improve
而且，合宜的是，这些正是研究人员看到的改善功能，
when we're exposed to natural environments.
我们接触自然时会得到改善。
So it's not that huge of a stretch to think that maybe that need to feel like we belong extends beyond human interactions,
所以，我们需要的归属感超越了人际互动，
to seeing ourselves as part of the wider ecosystem on our planet.
我们要将自己视为地球上更广阔生态系统的一部分，这一想法并不夸张。
It's a plausible idea, and the results of this study certainly support it.
这貌似是个合理的想法，此项研究的结果肯定支持这一观点。
But like with a lot of other big ideas, it would help to have more research to be sure.
但与其他很多伟大的想法一样，它需要更多的研究来确定。
If nothing else, though, studies do suggest that time in nature is really good for you.
不过，如果别的什么都没有的话，研究确实表明，在自然中度过确实对你有好处。
So even if we don't totally know why, it's probably worth visiting your local park sometime.
所以，即使我们还不完全了解原因，但有时间去你当地的公园看看是值得的。
Your brain, and your mood, will thank you.
你的大脑和情绪都会感谢你。
Thanks for watching this episode of SciShow Psych!
感谢您收看本期的心理科学秀！
If you enjoy hanging out in nature and want to learn more about it,
如果你喜欢在大自然中闲逛，并想要更多地了解它，
you can check out one of our new sister channels, Nature League!
你可以查看我们的一个姊妹栏目“Nature League”！
In it, SciShow Psych's very own Brit Garner explores all things wild,
在这里面，心理科学秀专有的布里特·加纳会探索所有野生生物，
and takes you on some field trips as a bonus.
还带你去实地考察作为奖励。
You can find it at youtube.com/natureleague.
你可以在youtube.com/natureleague找到它。
