Soft Fascination

GLOSSARY

Stimuli that capture attention effortlessly yet do not occupy the space in one’s head. Such stimuli capture our attention more loosely, permitting unrelated thoughts to emerge, offering opportunities for reflection, and allowing for recovery from directed attention. Examples include elements from nature, such as the wind blowing through leaves or ripples of water across a pond. Contrasted with ‘hard’ fascination (e.g., TV screens, devices), which comprises stimuli that forcefully grab one’s attention and are difficult to resist.

Flat illustration of colorful autumn leaves in red, orange, and green blowing in the wind.
Flat illustration of colorful autumn leaves in red, orange, and green blowing in the wind.

Reference:

Basu, A., Duvall, J., & Kaplan, R. (2019). Attention restoration theory: Exploring the role of soft fascination and mental bandwidth. Environment and Behavior, 51(9-10), 1055-1081. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916518774400