Restorative Outcome Scale by K. Korpela et al. (ROS): adaptation and preliminary psychometric evaluation

Abstract

The concept of recovery is a psychological construct that is widely used in studies of human contact with nature. The construct has a range of interpretations, the most accepted one is cognitive- affective normalization after stress and/or mental fatigue. Among self-report measures of restoration, a distinction is made between restoration effect (recovery experience) and restorativeness (restorative potential of the environment). No instruments have been found to measure the former in the Russian- speaking context, although the construct is useful for studying psychological benefits of contact with nature. In this regard, the purpose of this work is approbation of the Russian version of the Restoration Outcome Scale (ROS, 2008) by K. Korpela et al. The questionnaire is based on the Attention Restoration Theory by R. and S. Kaplan and the Stress Recovery Theory by R. Ulrich. ROS measures the recalled feelings of cognitive-affective restoration. Data from a sample of 120 middle-aged respondents, mainly urban residents, were analyzed. The participants were surveyed about their typical experiences of contact with nature (the contacts were predominantly related to leisure rather than pragmatic activities). Categorical principal component analysis revealed a one-factor structure for the Russian version of the ROS (as well as for the English version). The Cronbach's alpha value is 0.89. Construct validity was supported through predicted correlations with dispositional vitality and nature connectedness measures. Higher ROS rates were revealed in the female group. Limitations of the study are related to the small sample size, gender and age imbalance (more women, only middle-aged respondents) and the increased nature connectedness. The findings indicate the prospects of the questionnaire, which needs further psychometric examination on larger samples.