A growing number of studies have shown that visiting green spaces and being exposed to natural environments can reduce psychological stress. A number of questions concerning the effects of natural environments on levels of stress remain including, “Are activities engaged in natural environments more or less beneficial at reducing stress when compared to those done in more urban settings?” This study examined this question from the perspective of “levels of nature”. That is, data on levels of stress were collected from three sites, one site having wilderness-like characteristics, a second site representing a municipal-type park, and a third site representing a built environment (indoor exercise facility) within a city. Data were generated using biophysical markers (cortisol and amylase) and a psychological measure within a pre- and post-visit format. Findings suggest that visiting natural environments can be beneficial in reducing both physical and psychological stress levels, with visitors to a natural environment reporting significantly lower levels of stress than their counterparts visiting a more urbanized outdoor setting or indoor exercise facility.

This exploratory study investigated the impact of participation in a three-week adventure education (AE) expedition upon levels of resilience of university students. Resilience is considered to be a dynamic process of positive adaptation to significant threat or adversity and may be an important variable to study as college students often live stressful lives involving academic workloads, relationship building and self-identity that often require the development of coping skills and resilience. Little research, however, has been conducted on the ability to enhance levels of resilience through AE activities within a college or university setting. The specific research questions studied included: (1) Do resilience scores change as a result of a short-term AE experience, and (2) What specific experiences did participants report that were related to the concept of resilience? Using a mixed method, with quantitative responses from the treatment group and the comparison group, paired sample t-tests resulted in a significant increase only in the treatment group. Following semi-structured interviews with 10 graduates two to three years after the expedition, six themes emerged as important aspects in developing a sense of resilience. These themes included perseverance, self-awareness, social support, confidence, responsibility to others, and achievement.

There is an increasing interest in the field of experiential education to move beyond simply documenting the value of experiential education programs and, instead, develop more evidence-based models for experiential education practice (cf., Gass, 2005; Henderson, 2004). Due in part to the diversity of experiential education programs, participants, goals, designs, and specific program experiences, there exists a broad constellation of variables that can impact the results of studies using an evidence-based approach. While many of these variables are accounted for through effective research designs, others are largely uncontrollable, yet remain influential. These uncontrollable variables can often distort or confound the results from research and evaluation efforts. This paper categorizes some of the most common confounding variables into three temporally based categories: Precursor, Concomitant, and Postexperience. Following this, suggestions for researchers and evaluators in addressing these variables are provided.

Numerous studies have pointed to a gap between the attitudes people express about the natural environment and their subsequent behaviors toward that environment. Variables identified within these studies include: how significant others view behaviors related to the attitudes; demographic variables such as sex, age or education; self‐perceived ability to do the attitude‐related behavior; attitude strength; and personal relevance of the attitude. This study proposes the concept of environmental desirability responding (EDR) as another factor which might contribute to the attitude‐behavior discrepancy. The development and construct validation of the Environmentally Desirable Response Scale (EDRS), which is designed to identify the existence and level of EDR, is described. The EDRS contains items designed to measure two types of socially desirable responding – ‘Self‐deception’ and ‘Image management’. A total of 1024 usable data sets were obtained from a sample of respondents in several countries (Japan, the US and Australia). Principal factors and correlation analyses revealed that the EDRS comprises three factors identified as ‘Self‐deception/Assertion of positives’, ‘Image management’ and ‘Self‐deception/Denial of negatives’. Cronbach alpha estimates of reliability for the three factors were .74, .66, and .61. Suggestions for further research regarding the scale and EDR are offered.

Forests and similar types of landscapes offer a myriad of outcomes and benefits often associated with participation in outdoor adventure recreation (OAR) activities. Previous research has shown that OAR participants are able to identify, perceive, and accurately report the effects and benefits of their participation. The health benefits of outdoor experiences, both active and more passive, have received a growing research interest, both as a setting and as a setting/activity complex. Research has identified six primary forms of health and well-being from outdoor and forest-type landscapes, including emotional, environmental, intellectual, social, spiritual, and physical. The preponderance of research in the health and wellness field synthesizes these forms into two primary categories, physical/physiological and mental/psychological. This study considered the health outcomes attributed to highly active OAR participation using three popular OAR activities: mountain biking (MTB), rock climbing (RC) and whitewater paddling (WW; including whitewater kayaking, whitewater canoeing, and whitewater rafting). A survey presented in situ to OAR participants in various areas of the Midwestern and Southeastern United States yielded 288 respondents. Using health perceptions and outcomes instruments as well as semi-structured interviews, the researchers found health to be an important factor for OAR participation. These findings are congruent with previous research that suggest that OAR participants specifically recreate in forested and other natural areas for enhanced physical and psychological health outcomes. The findings in this study also support the efficacy of the participation in OAR activities toward supporting both health improvement and maintenance. With physical and psychological health continuing to be an area of concern in today’s world, this study suggests that participation in OAR on forested and similar landscapes can be a successful health intervention strategy.

This study examines the effect of short-term adventure-based outdoor programs (AOP) on reducing college students’ stress levels. The effects of sex and different outdoor adventure activities in stress reduction are also evaluated. Thirty-three college students participated in selected short-term backpacking, canoeing, and kayaking programs. Student's salivary samples were collected to evaluate physiological stress response (as measured by levels of cortisol) and their psychological stress levels were collected through a modified 12-item questionnaire. Stress responses were measured at three different time points, including the second weekly meeting in the classroom, before the field trip, and at the conclusion of the field trip. Findings suggest that short-term AOP affords opportunities for college students to be away from daily challenges, and in turn reduce college students’ psychological stress levels and provide a temporary relief of physiological stress levels. No significant differences in college students’ stress levels were found between sex and different outdoor adventure activities.