The audio-visual effects of rehabilitative landscapes on stress recovery in older adults: a case study of typical parks in Xi’an

Based on the landscape perception theory and human factors methods, this study adopted eye-tracking and multimodal physiological monitoring to explore the effects of age-friendly rehabilitative landscapes on stress recovery in older adults. A total of 44 healthy older adults were recruited. Fourteen landscape scenes from five types of parks in Xi’an were selected to collect physiological data under visual-only and audio-visual combined conditions. The results showed three key findings. First, the main effect of visual environment was significant (p < 0.05). Landscapes with moderate plant diversity and static water features produced the optimal stress recovery effects. Second, the audio-visual interaction effect was significant (p < 0.05). Auditory stimuli did not universally promote stress recovery, and their effects were regulated by visual landscape types. Third, eye movement data indicated excessive audio-visual stimuli might reduce recovery efficiency. Open spaces and static water features showed strong anti-interference capabilities. Sound cues effectively drew older adults’ visual attention to water landscapes. This study suggests prioritizing landscapes with moderate plant complexity and static water features. The sound volume of dynamic water scenes should be controlled, and open spaces can be designed to reduce cognitive load. The findings deepen the understanding of how audio-visual landscapes affect stress recovery in older adults, and provide empirical evidence for the design and optimization of age-friendly landscapes in urban parks and community green spaces.