Virtual Nature
A five-year research project exploring how digital forms of nature can impact wellbeing.
17,741 people took part in our research
A staggering number of people contributed to this project and its findings. Through several large-scale experiments, we have revealed how virtual forms of nature might lead to a host of positive psychological outcomes.
We’ve published three key research papers
1. Forest 404
Smalley et al., 2022
Published in Global Environmental Change
doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2022.102497
We worked with the BBC to create a transdisciplinary, science-led audio series called Forest 404 which had an online experiment at its heart. Over 7,500 people took part, revealing significant differences in how people respond to natural soundscapes. Participants’ memories were also strongly related to these outcomes. Our findings highlighted the value of art-science collaborations and demonstrated how contact with the natural world can promote wellbeing and behaviors that protect planetary health.
2. Ephemeral phenomena
Smalley and White, 2023
Published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology
doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.101955
We examined how dynamic landscape features, called ‘ephemeral phenomena’, can alter the ways in which an environment is perceived and experienced. Data from over 2,500 participants revealed that ephemeral yet everyday phenomena such as sunrise and sunset could lead to significant increases in feelings of beauty, awe, and value. Our findings suggested that the effects of fleeting, non-structural features could have important implications for landscape experience, research, and design.
3. Music and nature
Smalley et al., 2023
Published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology
doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102060
We formed a second transdisciplinary broadcast initiative with the BBC called Soundscapes for Wellbeing. We explored how music and nature might combine to impact wellbeing, with over 7,600 people taking part in a carefully controlled experiment. Data revealed that music and natural sounds can have very different effects on people’s responses to a virtual nature experience. Crucially, our results underlined the importance of viewers’ memories for predicting these outcomes.
Forest 404 was award-winning
This creative and academic series won accolades from several quarters.
We’re busy working on our next project.
And we would love to hear from you! Please drop Alex an email on a.j.smalley@exeter.ac.uk to find out more and help us shape our next package of research.
You can also explore more content on
Alex’s bio page.