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Dr Shumetha Sidhu
University of Reading Malaysia
The Benefits of Nature Environments on Cognitive Functions
Speaker Profile
Shumetha graduated with a BSc in Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Nottingham, and in 2020, she further completed her PhD there. She joined the University of Reading Malaysia in January 2020 as a lecturer in psychology.
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Shu’s main research interests is in the field of human visual perception, specifically investigating the mechanisms of figure-ground segregation of orientation-based texture stimuli. She uses psychophysical paradigms, computational modelling, and eye-tracking techniques in her research to explore early vision in humans. More recently, she became interested in investigating what aspects of nature environments can improve cognitive abilities, and successfully secured funding to run this research project.
Absract
There is an abundance of evidence supporting the notion that interacting with natural environments enhance a variety of observable measures including psychological well-being, physiological functions, and even cognitive functions. These cognitive benefits of interacting with nature have been demonstrated via both virtual exposure to nature and actual exposure to nature by means of active or passive engagement.
In this plenary talk, Dr Shu will present and discuss the theories and evidence in the field relating to the benefits of nature exposure, and will also consider how research into nature environments typically encompasses green spaces such as parks, gardens, forest, etc., with less emphasis on other types of natural environments. She will present evidence in support of the notion that certain types of nature landscapes may well have pronounced cognitive benefits over others.