ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces tools for examining the health benefits especially in urban nature. From the methods for demonstrating virtual environments in the laboratory, to the methods for studying psychological and physiological responses in actual urban nature, these are the means used to validate the relationship between “nature and health benefits.” In the previous chapter, we explored theories of nature and people. Based on evolution and psycho-physiological concepts, it appears that people prefer nature with specific characteristics that provide “something” good for them, either by supporting their living needs, setting their cognitive ability to a good emotional state, or by making them feel satisfied. In this chapter, we selected the methods for performing health benefit experiments, psychological scales for collecting human responses in different environments, and physiological instruments used to record people’s responses in order to verify these theories from another perspective, including empirical research to conceive readers that nature provides better health benefits than urban. The following existing tools for examining the psychological to physical responses in each section contains a brief introduction of the methods or tools, the operation process and indicators of each apparatus, and relevant researches that lead us to think about what those selective review of tools and concepts in psychological and physiological human response-to-nature researches could support the SDGs on Goal 3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages) and Goal 11 (Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable). Moreover, we selected the new environmental simulation technology – virtual reality to display its benefits for scholar-practitioner in research design.
