Study of the therapeutic effects of Icelandic natural landscape images. A case study of Chinese tourists

Abstract

The study employs a comprehensive experimental methodology, utilizing a diverse collection of photographs organized into 18 distinct groups. There are three main objectives. First, it explores the cultural and psychological factors that make Icelandic landscapes so therapeutic for the Chinese. Second, it aims to prove how photographs of natural landscapes (two-dimensional images) can have a healing effect on individuals. Third, it strives to create a model for sorting healing photographs and making them useful for selecting images for healing albums. A Likert-scale questionnaire was distributed to 1,000 participants from China, 500 individuals who have visited Iceland, and 500 who have not. This diverse pool consists of 500 males and 500 females, spanning ages from 10 to 80. The results reveal the top-ranked landscapes and significant improvements in participants’ psychological well-being after viewing the pictures. The findings support the therapeutic nature of the curated collection of forty photographs, providing inspiration and promoting well-being through the beauty and transformative power of nature. This experimental investigation contributes to an understanding of healing landscapes and their potential in assisting psychological therapy and landscape design.

Keywords

• healing landscapes
• chinese travelers
• iceland
• nature-based tourism
• photography