Simulating Nature?! The Impact of Indoor Exercising on Cognitive and Affective Functioning: A Randomized Crossover Trial
Metadata
Show full item recordEditorial
Vizja Press&IT Sp. z o.o.
Materia
Executive attention Anxiety Depression
Date
2024-03-01Referencia bibliográfica
Ionel, M. S., Rosario Rueda, M., & Visu-Petra, L. (2024). Simulating nature?! The impact of indoor exercising on cognitive and affective functioning: A randomized crossover trial. Advances in Cognitive Psychology, 20(1), 64-79. https://doi.org/10.5709/acp-0416-3
Sponsorship
Erasmus Traineeship founded by the European CommissionAbstract
The present investigation focused on assessing cognitive and affective effects of indoor exercising
while exposing the participants to a video simulation of nature (simulated nature), compared to
the typical indoor exercising (control condition). Participants (N = 21, physically active amateur
cyclists) completed an incremental effort test to establish their aerobic power. Next, they cycled
for 55 minutes under one of two randomized conditions using a within-subjects design: simulated
nature, involving the presentation of an outdoor soundscape video, versus the control condition,
representing the indoor cycling condition. At the end of each cycling session, conducted 3-7 days
apart, participants completed a set of psychological assessments focused on their cognitive functions,
including executive attention, vigilance, working memory, as well as and affective functioning,
encompassing anxiety, depression, negative and positive affect. The results suggest that exercising
in simulated natural environment conditions has little significant cognitive and or affective
benefits after controlling for physical effort.