中文导读

现代生活充满噪声和屏幕，定向注意很容易疲劳。注意恢复理论认为亲近自然有助于恢复专注。华盛顿大学圣路易斯分校 Carina Fowler 团队用大型 ABCD 儿童队列检验：住得离树冠和公园更近的孩子，定向注意和晶体智力表现是否更好。文章先提出问题，再说明约 1.2 万名儿童的测量方式与绿地指标，接着报告控制多种干扰因素后的关联，并区分空气质量与身体活动两种解释，最后保留横断面研究的因果边界。阅读时可留意 if、after、while、so 如何连接问题、证据与局限，以及 may、linked to、cannot prove、still needed 如何表达不确定。

正文

Modern life is full of noise and screens, and many people feel their attention runs down quickly. Psychologists call this directed attention fatigue. A growing idea, known as attention restoration theory, says that time in nature can help restore the ability to focus. New work from Washington University in St. Louis tests that claim in children living in ordinary neighborhoods.

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现代生活充满噪声和屏幕，许多人觉得注意力很快就耗尽。心理学家把这种现象称为定向注意疲劳。一种日渐流行的观点叫注意恢复理论，认为亲近自然有助于恢复专注能力。华盛顿大学圣路易斯分校的新研究，在普通社区儿童中检验了这一说法。

Carina Fowler, a postdoctoral researcher in Deanna Barch’s lab, asked a clear question with her colleagues. If a child lives closer to green space and has more access to it, do they pay attention better when it is required, and do they score higher on achievement tests? Their study appeared in Environment International and was covered by WashU News on 2 November 2026.

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卡里娜·福勒是迪安娜·巴奇实验室的博士后研究员，她与同事提出了一个明确问题：如果孩子住得离绿地更近、接触绿地更多，他们在需要时是否更能集中注意力，并在学业成就测验上得分更高？论文发表于《Environment International》，华盛顿大学新闻站于2026年11月2日作了报道。

The team used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, often called ABCD. It follows roughly 12,000 American children with a median age of ten. Each child completed objective checks of directed attention and crystallized intelligence, a measure often used as a stand-in for school achievement. Green space was measured as the average of tree canopy and park cover in each child’s census tract. That metric helped the researchers separate richer natural cover from a simple strip of grass.

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研究团队使用了青少年大脑认知发展研究（常称 ABCD）的数据。该项目跟踪约1.2万名美国儿童，年龄中位数为10岁。每名儿童完成了定向注意与晶体智力的表现型测评，晶体智力常被当作学业成就的替代指标。绿地暴露按孩子所在人口普查区的树冠覆盖与公园覆盖比例的平均值衡量。这一指标有助于把更丰富的自然覆盖，与单纯的一片草地区分开。

Greater proximity to green space was linked to better attention scores and higher crystallized intelligence. The association remained after the team controlled for area deprivation, assigned sex, ADHD diagnosis, stimulant use, sleep problems, perceived safety, media use, prenatal tobacco exposure, and other factors. Not every patch of green seemed equal: being near tree canopy or parks mattered most.

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住得离绿地更近，与更好的注意力分数和更高的晶体智力相关。在控制地区剥夺程度、指定性别、ADHD诊断、兴奋剂使用、睡眠问题、安全感、媒体使用、产前烟草暴露等因素后，这一关联仍然存在。并非所有绿色地块作用相同：靠近树冠或公园最为关键。

Why might green space help? Fowler said nature can capture attention gently while still letting the mind wander, a mix that may restore focus. The researchers also checked two popular explanations: physical activity and cleaner air. They found that fine particle pollution partly explained the link between green space and attention, but physical activity did not.

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绿地为何可能有帮助？福勒说，自然既能温和地抓住注意，又允许思绪游走，这种组合或许能恢复专注。研究团队还检验了两种常见解释：身体活动和更清洁的空气。他们发现细颗粒物污染部分解释了绿地与注意力之间的关联，而身体活动则没有。

The study compares children at one point in time, so it cannot prove that green space causes better attention. Even so, it adds careful evidence that parks and trees near home may support children’s directed attention and learning skills tied to school. Fowler notes that people often dislike empty quiet rooms; nature may give just enough gentle input without overload. More research is still needed to learn exactly how the brain recovers outdoors.

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这项研究比较的是同一时点上的儿童，因此无法证明绿地会导致更好的注意力。即便如此，它仍提供了审慎的证据：家附近的公园与树木，可能支持儿童的定向注意以及与学业相关的学习技能。福勒指出，人们往往不喜欢空荡安静的房间；自然或许能提供恰到好处、又不至于过载的温和刺激。要弄清大脑在户外究竟如何恢复，仍需要更多研究。

新闻来源

• WashU · To restore attention, reach out to nature (2 Nov 2026)
• Environment International · Green space is associated with better directed attention and higher crystallized intelligence in middle childhood: Evidence from the ABCD study (Fowler et al., 2026)

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