Spatial working memory (SWM) is one aspect of cognition that has not been addressed in previous studies focusing on the relationship between exposure to greenspace and cognitive functioning in children. This research aimed to fill this gap. SWM refers to the storage and retrieval of visuospatial information within the brain and is related to attentional control. The authors suggest that SWM may be linked to green space because greenspace may encourage wayfinding, which is a SWM skill. SWM is strongly associated with academic achievement, especially in math.
Data for this study was drawn from a sample of 4,758 11-year-old children living in different urban areas of England. The data included measures of neighborhood greenspace, neighborhood deprivation, and family socio-economic status. Greenspace was defined as the percentage of greenery in the child's neighborhood as measured by satellite imagery. Neighborhood deprivation was based on multiple measures of deprivation, including income, health and disability, employment, education and training, crime, living environment, and barriers to housing and services. Children participating in the study completed a computer-assisted SWM assessment in which they searched for tokens hidden in colored boxes displayed on the screen. Their challenge was to find these tokens without returning to a box where a token had previously been found. This task became harder and harder as the number of boxes increased.
Children from neighborhoods with more greenspace performed better on the SWM task than children in neighborhoods with less greenspace. The level of neighborhood deprivation did not modify this relationship, as results showed that lower quantity of greenspace was related to poorer SWM scores in both deprived and non-deprived neighborhoods.
This research suggests that greenspace influences cognitive functioning in a positive way and may thus help children perform better academically. These results lend support to efforts focusing on increased outdoor learning opportunities and greater access to greenspace in urban environments. This study has important implications for decision makers in education and urban planning as they work to promote the academic achievement of children living in urban areas.
Research Partner