Virtual Nature and Psychological Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Evidence on the benefits of virtual nature for individuals is steadily increasing. In this contribution, report a systematic review summarizing studies that examined the implications of virtual nature on psychological and psychophysiological outcomes up to 2021. We used Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO to identify the studies of interest. We found 160 records, of which 38 met the eligibility criteria. Results from quality assessment showed that most studies (thirty) were of medium or high quality and only eight were evaluated as low-quality studies. Studies addressed three main outcomes: mood, stress, and restorativeness. Other outcomes such as environmental preference, nature connectedness, cognitive performance received less attention, whilst others such as creativity, perceived safety, subjective vitality, and behavioral intentions were hardly investigated at all. Findings generally demonstrate a positive effect of virtual nature for its users, often comparable to outdoor nature exposure. Studies adopted experimental or quasi-experimental designs, used heterogeneous measures and often sample sizes of unknown power. Future research directions could consider uninvestigated outcomes using larger studies with adequate power and identified best practices.