The Beneficial Effects of Watching Fish
Spending time observing an aquarium leads
to improvements in mood and reductions in heart rate.
There are psychological benefits to
watching fish and crustaceans in an aquarium, according to a new study by
Deborah Cracknell et al. They observed people’s natural
interactions with a marine life display, and took heart rate, blood pressure
and questionnaire results from 84 experimental participants.
But the display wasn’t a fish tank that you could fit in your living room – it was a large exhibit at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, UK.
But the display wasn’t a fish tank that you could fit in your living room – it was a large exhibit at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, UK.
Sitting and looking at the display led to
significant reductions in blood pressure and heart rate. “Most of these gains
occurred within the first five minutes,” write the authors.
The results are not due simply to sitting, they say, as experimental participants had a rest period before a curtain was opened to reveal the display.
The results are not due simply to sitting, they say, as experimental participants had a rest period before a curtain was opened to reveal the display.
The researchers were able to take advantage
of a new marine life display being created at the museum. They took
measurements when the display was ‘empty’, about half-full, and fully-stocked.
The empty display contained artificial seaweed and corals, and was full of sea
water that needed time to settle, but no fish. When half-full, the tank
contained 60 fish (of six species) and 14 crustaceans (of two species). Fully
stocked, there were 138 fish (19 species) and 13 crustaceans (of 3 species).
Not surprisingly, ordinary visitors to the
museum spent longer in front of the display when it was partially or fully
stocked. There was a lot of variation, with the average time being about 4 minutes,
but some people spent up to 20 minutes looking at it. 112 members of the public were observed, with a sign at the entrance informing them a study was taking place.
Experimental participants were recruited to
come to the museum at one of the three time-points. “Participants in all three
conditions found 10 minutes in front of the exhibit was an enjoyable and
interesting experience that made them feel better,” say the scientists. Even
when the exhibit was empty, participants said they would be willing to sit in
front of it for another 7 and a half minutes. But they said they were willing to observe
it for significantly longer, 11 and a half minutes, when it was partially or
fully stocked.
The partially and fully stocked conditions led to bigger improvements in mood, enjoyment, and how interesting it was compared to the empty display. All three stages of the exhibit also led to decreases in heart rate and blood pressure. Heart rate dropped more when the tank was full or partially-full compared to when it was empty.
The scientists say, “in general, as duration of exposure increased people became both more positive and calmer, but as biota [marine life] levels increased, people became more positive but relatively less calm. This latter finding is concordant with the notion that greater levels of biota are associated with more interest and fascination.” In other words, the more fish there were in the tank, the more interesting it was to watch.
The partially and fully stocked conditions led to bigger improvements in mood, enjoyment, and how interesting it was compared to the empty display. All three stages of the exhibit also led to decreases in heart rate and blood pressure. Heart rate dropped more when the tank was full or partially-full compared to when it was empty.
The scientists say, “in general, as duration of exposure increased people became both more positive and calmer, but as biota [marine life] levels increased, people became more positive but relatively less calm. This latter finding is concordant with the notion that greater levels of biota are associated with more interest and fascination.” In other words, the more fish there were in the tank, the more interesting it was to watch.
There are several theories that might
explain these results. One is the idea that people have an innate tendency to
like nature (the biophilia hypothesis). Another theory is that spending time in
nature is restorative and can improve feelings of stress and fatigue from
concentration (Attention Restoration Theory). If an environment is rich,
fascinating, in line with the person’s likes, and involves being away from the
daily routine, then it will be restorative.
Previous studies of the effects of aquaria
in healthcare settings have had mixed results. More research is needed to find
out if an aquarium of the type people keep fish in at home would have similar effects. But this study found that watching the exhibit for just a short time
had psychological benefits.
Do you like watching fish in a tank?
Reference
Cracknell, D., White, M., Pahl, S., Nichols, W., & Depledge, M. (2015). Marine Biota and Psychological Well-Being: A Preliminary Examination of Dose-Response Effects in an Aquarium Setting Environment and Behavior
Cracknell, D., White, M., Pahl, S., Nichols, W., & Depledge, M. (2015). Marine Biota and Psychological Well-Being: A Preliminary Examination of Dose-Response Effects in an Aquarium Setting Environment and Behavior
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