There is a lack of consensus on whether preference informs evaluations of urban and natural scenes as psychologically restorative or instorative, or whether instorative perceptions inform preference. Perceptions of restorative potential and outcomes without a prior stress intervention are called instorative. In two online experimental studies conducted across long (N = 140) and short (N = 110) timeframes, we show a primacy effect for instorative perceptions; that is, evaluations of the instorative benefits of a scene are better predictors of ratings of preference than preference ratings of perceived instorative benefits. This was true for both natural and urban types of scenes. We found support for perceived instoration and affective appraisals being similarly strong and independent mediators. Their relative share in affecting preference or perceived instorativeness could not be reliably differentiated. Examination of thoughts, memories, and identity elicited by viewing such scenes may further clarify relationships between environmental preference and instoration.

关于偏好是否能使人们对城市和自然场景的评估成为心理上的恢复性或启发性的，或者说启发性的感知是否能使人们的偏好形成共识，目前尚无共识。在没有事先压力干预的情况下，恢复潜力和结果的感知被称为启发性。在长期（N = 140）和短期（N = 110）时间范围内进行的两项在线实验研究中，我们显示出对感知知觉的首要作用；也就是说，场景感知能力的评估比感知能力的偏好评估更好地预测了偏好评估。对于自然和城市类型的场景都是如此。我们发现，对感知的理解和情感评估的支持也同样强大且独立。他们在影响偏好或感知能力上的相对份额无法可靠地区分。通过查看此类场景引发的思想，记忆和身份检查可以进一步阐明环境偏好与存储之间的关系。