Dr Konrad Uebel
Academic and research departments
Environmental Psychology Research Group (EPRG), School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.About
Biography
My research has a focus on people-nature interactions, aiming to further understand how ecological features and biodiversity within urban blue and green spaces can facilitate mental and physical health benefits for people. I also have a key interesting in further understanding motivations and barriers towards pro-environmental behaviours amongst both the general public and private landholders. Overall, I hope my research can contribute to an evidence base that can inform the management of green spaces for both ecological and social outcomes.
I completed my PhD at the University of Queensland in December 2021, then completed a period of postdoctoral research (January 2022 - February 202) at the Queensland University of Technology, before six months at the environmental consulting firm EcoFutures. From February 2023 I have been placed at the University of Surrey as a Research Fellow where I am completing a two year contract on a project investigating the influence of differing acoustic properties of natural soundscapes in promoting mental well-being.
Affiliations and memberships
Publications
Soundscapes from natural areas are an important cultural ecosystem service that can promote greater mental health and well-being. However, the mediating pathways by which this occurs are not yet fully understood, limiting their integration into ecosystem service frameworks. We addressed this gap by examining a range of mediating pathways between subjective and objective measures of natural soundscapes and well-being. Using online surveys, a representative UK sample (N = 1529) listened to simulated natural soundscapes with differing levels of three acoustic metrics. Participants completed measures of subjective well-being and perceived restoration , along with perceptions of bird diversity within soundscapes, restorativeness, stress and awe. Structural equation modelling was then used to test the theoretically-indicated pathways between subjective and objective measures of the soundscapes and well-being. Results confirmed biodiversity-health hypotheses: the relationship between perceived bird diversity and well-being was mediated by greater perceived restorative qualities of the soundscape, reduced perceived stress and greater perceptions of awe. Novel mechanistic pathways between acoustic characteristics and well-being were also demonstrated with moderate to high acoustic complexity displaying an indirect effect on well-being via serial mediation pathways: first through higher perceived biodiversity levels, and then either greater perceived restorativeness, reduced perceived stress or increased awe. These results provide new insights into how natural soundscapes can deliver well-being benefits and can inform the management and valuation of soundscapes in natural areas.