Exploration of feelings that nature evokes in people: Comparison between males and females: Case study in Armenia

1. Master Thesis
Exploration of feelings that nature evokes in
people: Comparison between males and females:
Case study in Armenia
Lilit Mkrtchyan

2. Plants and natural landscapes may enhance human well-being by
causing positive physiological and psychological responses,
by affecting human behaviour

3. The present research has an objective to determine
the feelings that nature evokes in people

4. The study is focusing on 3 types of landscapes:
mountains, parks,
residential areas

5. Mountains
As the highest and most dramatic features of the natural landscape,
mountains have an extraordinary power to evoke the sacred.
Feelings such as fear and unsafety are very common when being
close to mountains.
However, the survey conducted in Armenia shows the following
emotions being common both among males and females:
patriotism, pride, freedom

6. Parks
Parks are seen as the most positive and relaxing type of landscape.
calmness, purity, nostalgia …
These are the feelings that the majority of respondents
mentioned in Armenia.

7. Residential areas
Residential areas are the most negative type of landscape.
Both males and females mention the feelings of coolness, impureness,
tension and the sense of ordinariness.
The outcomes of the survey highlight the importance of
green spaces in residential areas.

8. RESEARCH
Where Who When
Location Respondents Time
Yerevan, Armenia 10 males, 10 females November-December, 2010

9. Gender differences
Overall, the mountains evoked more positive feelings in males than in females.
There were no differences between males and females in positive mood for parks and
residential areas.
Looking at the single mood items, we can see that females
felt somewhat more scared about the mountains and the mountains made females
feel somewhat more depressed and less energetic.
However, these gender differences were only significant for feeling energetic,
F (1, 18) = 17.0, p = .001.
Females generally perceived the natural landscape types as more restorative
than males, while they perceived residential areas as somewhat less restorative
than males.

10. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8389b_hd-time-lapse-
footage-timelapse-lan_travel
Dailymotion - Nature's Soliloquies - a Arts video