The role of interdependencies between different settings for perceived psychological distance, health and well-being

Abstract

Background. Psychological distance to everyday demands is considered as important in attention restoration theory for initiating restoration of depleted cognitive resources. Although measures exist to assess if people experience psychological distance, only little is known about the why of this perception. The current study addresses this research gap by focusing those psychological processes that may constrain or foster experiencing psychological distance during leisure time by joining assumptions from attention restoration theory and behavior setting theory. Methods. Cross-sectional data of N = 726 individuals (mean age 45.1 years, SD = 11.9 years; 66% female) has been elicited using a web-based survey, which contained measures for perceived psychological interdependencies between stressful and leisure time settings, perceived psychological distance, self-reported health and well-being (e.g., GHQ-12, Panas, Core-Affect, mental fatigue), and socio-demographics. The relationship between these measures was analyzed with a structural equation model. Findings. Results indicated that self-reported health and well-being were significantly related to how much psychological distance people experienced. Both the perceived psychological distance and self-reported health and well-being were directly and significantly impaired the more interdependencies people perceived between stressful and leisure time settings. Indirect effects from setting interdependencies via the perceived psychological distance on health and well-being were also significant and negative. Discussion/Conclusions. Combining attention restoration theory with behavior setting theory provides a sophisticated understanding of why people experience psychological distance. This novel approach complements health promotion by depicting a theory-based pathway that allows to target psychological distance and, consequently, health and well-being through interventions.