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Trees improve memory and attention in children
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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The international team of specialists found that the development of cognitive abilities (thinking, attention, memory, perception of new information, ability to reason, spatial orientation, etc.) in children directly depends on the number of trees around them, in addition, they improve cognitive activity the brain and just the green surfaces around the baby.
Specialists from Norway, America, Spain led by Payam Dadwand in the course of their work came to the conclusion that green plantations and surfaces surrounding children contribute to the development of cognitive abilities. Such conclusions were made after a long observation of schoolchildren at the age from 7 to 10 years. The study involved almost three thousand children from different schools in Barcelona, specialists observed the abilities of children for 12 months. During this period of time, students regularly underwent tests that determined the degree of development of cognitive abilities. Further, a group of scientists compared the results of the tests and the data of the satellites, which showed the number of green plantings around the child's house, on the way to the school and right next to the school.
As a result, it was found that the plants near the house had almost no effect on the child's ability, and the number of trees or shrubs along the way to and around the school improved the memory and attention of schoolchildren (on average, the figure increased by 5%).
After the experts added one more point - the level of environmental pollution, which is also affected to some extent by the number of trees and shrubs, the dependence increased to 65%, in other words, the air pollution around the school was contaminated, the lower was the memory, attention and the ability to perceive new information among schoolchildren.
It is worth noting that the scientists' conclusions are confirmed by other independent studies. Some experts explain this relationship by the fact that the more around plants, the less noise that can distract a child from the learning process, in addition, in green areas less air pollutants, for example, cars that negatively affect not only memory and attention, but and on the general state of human health. Other experts have suggested that this is due to the fact that schoolchildren spend more time in the open air.
A hypothesis was also put forward about biophilia, which is inherent in us by nature itself. According to this theory, for thousands of years a person has formed a psychological need to contemplate green landscapes, as experts noted, not the presence of trees helps a person to develop, and their absence adversely affects health. In any case, no one can yet accurately say the reasons for this dependence between learning abilities and green plantations around the child. Perhaps the whole point is that the "green" schools pay more attention to the development of children, and they are considered more prosperous.