eir support of the experience of involuntary attention; that is, some environments are experienced as more restorative than others (Kaplan 1995).
ART proposes there are four components required for an environment to be restorative: Being Away, Extent, Fascination and Compatibility (Kaplan and Kaplan 1989). The level of any of these components varies across environments, including those distinguished by the amount of natural or built elements. Although some restoration could occur when only one component is met- for example, physically being away from one’s work environment- ART suggests that greater restoration would be yielded in an environment comprising all four. Further, because these components are considered to be products of person-environment interactions (Kaplan 2001), a determination of whether a specific environment is restorative can differ across people and across time (Hartig, Korpela, Evans, and Garling 1997b; Hartig et al. 1991; Kaplan and Kaplan 1989). It is argued, however, that restorative environments are more likely to be comprised of natural elements such as trees and grassy spaces, than built elements such as brick buildings and concrete surfaces (Hartig, Kaiser, and Bowler 1997a; Hartig et al. 1997b; Hartig et al. 1991; Herzog, Chen, and Primeau 2002; Herzog, Maguire, and Nebel 2003; Kaplan and Kaplan 1989; Kaplan 1995; Korpela, Kytta, and Hartig 2002; Kuo 2001; Kuo, Bacaicoa, and Sullivan 1998; Kuo and Sullivan 2001; Laumann, Garling, and Stormark 2001).
Being AwayOne of the key components of a restorative environment is that of Being Away from the attentionally fatiguing features of daily life. This component is further divided into two different types of being away– that of being away physically, i.e., in a different geographical location, and that of being away psychologically, i.e., a conceptual shift (Kaplan and Kaplan 1989; Kaplan 1995, 2001b). The phrase “wanting to get away from it all” in conjunction with a holiday destination is reminiscent of the physical Being Away component of restorative environments (Kaplan and Kaplan 1989). Being away, however, does not require the traversing of any great distance. It could be achieved simply by changing the “direction of one’s gaze” (Kaplan 1995, 173). Psychologically being away can be achieved by changing the usual cognitive content experienced (Kaplan and Kaplan 1989) and by engaging in thoughts or activities that are distinct from the everyday (Kaplan 2001b). There are three ways proposed to elicit “being away” psychologically (Kaplan and Kaplan 1989): removing distractions from the immediate environment, not completing usual work for a period, or ceasing the pursuit of certain purposes. The sense of being away is proposed to be strongest when all three are performed. Yet an environment that meets these three may not be restorative; it may be considered as confining and/or boring, such as a basement without a telephone (Kaplan and Kaplan 1989). Therefore, a restorative environment, while facilitating either Being Away physically or psychologically from the environment of everyday stressors, must be comprised of additional components. One such component is Extent.
ExtentFor an environment to have Extent, it must be “rich enough and coherent enough so that it constitutes a whole other world” (Kaplan 1995, 173). The sense of another world is congruent with the “Being Away” component just described. Extent, or the sense of a whole other world, is defined by the presence of / experience of two components: “connectedness” and “scope” (Kaplan and Kaplan 1989). Extent, via connectedness and scope, can pertain to the physical environment or to psychological processes. Connectedness is defined by a series of relationships between environmental features. That is, a connected environment is comprised of features that relate to each other and which, when considered as a set of features, are related to a larger environment (Hartig et al. 1997b; Kaplan and Kaplan 1989). Scope refers to breadth and indicates there is more than the immediate environment availa