The Laboratory of Affective Ecology – An Overview

Our laboratory combines ecology, evolutionary and environmental psychology approaches to study biophilia, the affective bond between humans and Nature. We have been involved in showing that biophilia – as hypothesed by E.O.Wilson – is based on two constructs, fascination and affiliation. We showed that Nature fascination reduces period of restoration of direct and sustained attention after a mental fatigue, according to Attention Restoration Theory. Now we are investigating the loci naturae features able to induce affiliation and recovery from stress, according to Stress Recovery Theory. Finally, we are developing some conceptual frameworks (as, for example, the Biophilic Quality Index) for biophilic design, with the aim of rendering man-made spaces more coherent with innate human biophilia.