TY - JOUR T1 - Aggression and Violence in the Inner City: Effects of Environment via Mental Fatigue AU - Frances E. Kuo AU - William C. Sullivan Y1 - 2001/07/01 PY - 2001 DA - 2001/07/01 N1 - doi: 10.1177/00139160121973124 DO - 10.1177/00139160121973124 T2 - Environment and Behavior JF - Environment and Behavior JO - Environment and Behavior SP - 543 EP - 571 VL - 33 IS - 4 PB - SAGE Publications Inc N2 - S. Kaplan suggested that one outcome of mental fatigue may be an increased propensity for outbursts of anger and even violence. If so, contact with nature, which appears to mitigate mental fatigue, may reduce aggression and violence. This study investigated that possibility in a setting and population with relatively high rates of aggression: inner-city urban public housing residents. Levels of aggression were compared for 145 urban public housing residents randomly assigned to buildings with varying levels of nearby nature (trees and grass). Attentional functioning was assessed as an index of mental fatigue. Residents living in relatively barren buildings reported more aggression and violence than did their counterparts in greener buildings. Moreover, levels of mental fatigue were higher in barren buildings, and aggression accompanied mental fatigue. Tests for the proposed mechanism and for alternative mechanisms indicated that the relationship between nearby nature and aggression was fully mediated through attentional functioning. AB - S. Kaplan suggested that one outcome of mental fatigue may be an increased propensity for outbursts of anger and even violence. If so, contact with nature, which appears to mitigate mental fatigue, may reduce aggression and violence. This study investigated that possibility in a setting and population with relatively high rates of aggression: inner-city urban public housing residents. Levels of aggression were compared for 145 urban public housing residents randomly assigned to buildings with varying levels of nearby nature (trees and grass). Attentional functioning was assessed as an index of mental fatigue. Residents living in relatively barren buildings reported more aggression and violence than did their counterparts in greener buildings. Moreover, levels of mental fatigue were higher in barren buildings, and aggression accompanied mental fatigue. Tests for the proposed mechanism and for alternative mechanisms indicated that the relationship between nearby nature and aggression was fully mediated through attentional functioning. SN - 0013-9165 M3 - doi: 10.1177/00139160121973124 UR - https://doi.org/10.1177/00139160121973124 Y2 - 2018/02/08 ER -