Children's Perceived Restoration: Adaptation of the PRCS for Children to a Spanish sample

Abstract

Several studies have shown that when children's attention capacity is diminished, they cannot focus, they find it hard to cope with stressful situations and they become more likely to take unnecessary risks. A large number of studies have demonstrated that natural environments boost the restoration of attention capacity more than urban or semi urban environments. Hence, several instruments have been used to measure perceived restoration in adults in different environments; however, little attention has been paid to designing tools to measure children's perceived restoration. In this study, the Perceived Restorative Components Scale for Children (Bagot, Kuo & Allen, 2007) has been adapted to a Spanish sample. It has been used with 832 children aged between 6 and 13 years old. The results show that it is important to include nature in school playgrounds, since playgrounds with a greater amount of nature in them (trees, ground vegetation, etc.) have a higher positive effect on children's perceived restoration.

Resumen

Diversos estudios demuestran que cuando la capacidad de atención de los niños disminuye, éstos se concentran peor, les resulta difícil enfrentarse a situaciones estresantes y son más proclives a tomar riesgos innecesarios. Un importante número de investigaciones avalan que los ambientes naturales propician la recuperación de la capacidad de atención en mayor medida que los ambientes urbanos o semiurbanos. En este sentido, varios instrumentos han sido utilizados para medir la restauración percibida de personas adultas en distintos ambientes, sin embargo, se ha prestado poca atención a la búsqueda de instrumentos que midan la restauración percibida de los niños. En este trabajo se ha adaptado la Perceived Restorative Components Scale for Children de Bagot, Kuo y A llen (2007) para ser usada en castellano. Se ha aplicado a una muestra de 832 niños y niñas españoles de entre 6 y 13 años. Los resultados muestran la importancia de la presencia de elementos naturales en los school playgrounds, comprobándose que los playgrounds caracterizados por la mayor presencia de elementos naturales (vegetación baja, árboles, etc.) tienen un mayor efecto positivo en el incremento de la restauración percibida.

Keywords:

• Children
• scale
• nature
• restoration
• school playground

Palabras clave:

• Niños
• escala
• naturaleza
• restauración
• playground de colegio