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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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This View Zaps Stress, Naturally

Study finds plasma TV images no substitute

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(Newser) – For stress relief, there is no substitute for views of nature, the Seattle Times reports. A University of Washington study found that students who faced a stressful task returned to a normal heart rate most quickly while looking out the window at trees and grass.

But contrary to other studies, looking at a plasma TV displaying an image of the view from the window decreased heart rates as much as looking at a plaster wall. "The thinking is that when you digitize nature, you get all the benefits of nature," said the paper's author. "But they are not substitutions for nature."

Natural views can reduce stress while working.
Natural views can reduce stress while working.   (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
An aerial view of the Yasuni National Park, in Ecuador's northeastern jungle, Thursday, May 17, 2007.
An aerial view of the Yasuni National Park, in Ecuador's northeastern jungle, Thursday, May 17, 2007.   (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
An aerial of an expanse of land Thursday, May 8, 2008, in Lebec, Calif., that will become part of a vast nature preserve.
An aerial of an expanse of land Thursday, May 8, 2008, in Lebec, Calif., that will become part of a vast nature preserve.   (AP Photo/Ric Francis)
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Technology no good at reproducing nature's beneficial effects
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stress • psychology • nature • University of Washington • relief • natural resources • Plasma TV

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