Abstract:
Previous research has suggested that natural green areas provide several psychological
benefits to individuals. One such benefit is the restoration of attention capacities, an
advantage that is of particular importance to university students. The present study,
therefore, aimed to determine where students spend their free time on campus at the
University of Pretoria, South Africa, how they perceive their on-campus green spaces and
the extent to which they found these spaces restorative. Participants responded to a threepart
questionnaire, investigating demographic characteristics, green space usage, and the
Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS). Statistical analyses were conducted to determine
which of the green spaces contributed most significantly to overall PRS scores. All green
areas made significant contributions, but the campus's botanical garden was the greatest
contributor to PRS. The findings of this study serve to encourage tertiary institutions to
protect their green spaces, as the psychological well-being and attention restoration of
students are affected by it.
