Academic Journal
Restorative campus landscapes and student engagement: Dual affective pathways linking environmental perception to learning and social interaction.
| Title: | Restorative campus landscapes and student engagement: Dual affective pathways linking environmental perception to learning and social interaction. |
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| Authors: | Zhao Z; School of Design, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China. Electronic address: 7230306024@stu.jiangnan.edu.cn., Zhang M; School of Design, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China. Electronic address: 7230306015@stu.jiangnan.edu.cn., Wang J; School of Design, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China. Electronic address: 7240310026@stu.jiangnan.edu.cn., Wang X; School of Design, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China. Electronic address: 6170306034@stu.jiangnan.edu.cn., Guo W; School of Design, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China. Electronic address: gwm6316@126.com. |
| Source: | Acta psychologica [Acta Psychol (Amst)] 2026 Jul; Vol. 267, pp. 107091. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 May 20. |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: North Holland Publishing Country of Publication: Netherlands NLM ID: 0370366 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1873-6297 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00016918 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Acta Psychol (Amst) Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: Amsterdam : North Holland Publishing Original Publication: The Hague. |
| MeSH Terms: | Students*/psychology , Social Interaction* , Learning* , Environment*, Humans ; Female ; Male ; Universities ; Young Adult ; China ; Academia ; Adult ; Adolescent |
| Abstract: | To address the growing issues of cognitive overload and psychological stress among college students, this study explores the statistical associations between restorative environmental perceptions within campus healing landscapes, student well-being, and behavioral intentions. Drawing on Attention Restoration Theory and Place Attachment Theory, this research aims to bridge the gap between environmental perception and specific behavioral outcomes in the Chinese university context. Using convenience survey data from 308 university students across multiple regions in China, this study employed PLS-SEM to analyze how four dimensions of restorative perception, namely immersion, detachment, intensity, and compatibility, are statistically associated with psychological recovery, place attachment, campus belonging, learning engagement intentions, and social interaction intentions. Results indicate that immersion and detachment exhibit the strongest correlations with psychological recovery. Psychological recovery emerged as the most prominent factor statistically predicted learning engagement intentions, showing a stronger linkage than parallel pathways mediated by attachment and belonging. A distinct and significant statistical association was also observed between restorative perceptions and social interaction intentions. Overall, this study suggests that healing landscapes may be relevant to students' cognitive focus, emotional stability, and social functioning. The findings highlight the importance of considering regional and landscape heterogeneities, providing evidence-based guidance for optimizing campus landscape design to support student development in diverse Chinese institutional settings. (Copyright © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.) |
| Competing Interests: | Declaration of competing interest This work was financially supported by the Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province (Project Number KYCX25_2622). |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Learning engagement; Restorative landscape; Social interaction; Student mental health; University campus |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260520 Date Completed: 20260616 Latest Revision: 20260616 |
| Update Code: | 20260616 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107091 |
| PMID: | 42161133 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
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