Search

One of the crucial factors in changing behaviour towards pro‐environmental actions is climate change perception. The latest measurement tool for assessing this variable is the Climate Change Perception Scale (CCPS). However, CCPS has not gained widespread adoption and usage across different cultures, including Indonesia, and no analyses have been conducted to adapt and validate CCPS in the Indonesian context. Therefore, this study aimed to adapt, validate, and assess the measurement tool's consistency in Indonesia's cultural context. To investigate the instrument's psychometric properties, two studies (n = 358, 415) were conducted in Indonesia to provide evidence of the internal consistency, convergent validity, and predictive validity of CCPS. The results of a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed that the Indonesian version of CCPS, which consists of 15 items, with three for each dimension, accurately and reliably measured perception of climate change. CCPS also demonstrated good convergent validity, as indicated by the significant correlations with a nature relatedness (r = 0.425, p < 0.01) and biospheric value (r = 0.341, p < 0.01) construct. Furthermore, it exhibited predictive validity by predicting pro‐environmental behaviour, β = 0.243, b = 0.176, t(413) = 5.10, p < 0.01. However, the Indonesian version of CCPS still needs to be tested and confirmed through various studies, considering the poor validity of the temporal dimension and the weak factor loading of the consequence dimension in Study 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human well‐being is dependent on the health of our planet. Biodiversity‐related citizen science supports conservation research, and there is increasing interest in its potential as a health co‐benefits intervention. This randomized controlled study investigates the health co‐benefits of biodiversity citizen science participation. Seventy participants were randomly assigned to a citizen science project or control group for an 8‐month period. Both groups completed pre‐ and post‐intervention surveys, evaluating nature relatedness, self‐efficacy related to biodiversity loss, subjective well‐being, and climate change anxiety. A subset (N = 13) of participants engaged in the citizen science project also took part in focus group discussions. The intervention group reported a significant increase in nature relatedness and self‐efficacy to help address issues of biodiversity loss. Although no significant changes were observed for other well‐being or anxiety scales, most participants reported positive outcomes related to mental or physical well‐being in focus groups. There were stronger positive effects for participants without previous environmental volunteering experience. These results suggest that citizen science participation has the potential to contribute to Planetary Health goals, with sustained co‐benefits for well‐being and nature relatedness. Future interventions evaluating co‐benefits should consider previous environmental volunteering experience and focus on participants with little experience to maximize health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of People & Nature is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Increasing urbanization leads to greater loss of interaction with nature over time in a process described as the extinction of experience. Urban green spaces are some of the most prominent sites where individuals can access and interact with nature in urban areas. There is currently a gap in research around how different types of urban green spaces influence nature interactions, their relationships with human well‐being, and what influences these relationships. Greater knowledge of these connections can aid in the design of green spaces that can increase human well‐being and mitigate the extinction of experience.We conducted a visitor survey in an urban nature site in Israel, which consists of both a garden and protected nature area dominated by natural Mediterranean vegetation. We aimed to understand how visitors interacted with nature at the site and how the interactions differed between the protected nature area and the garden. Both frequency of interactions and number of total interactions were measured. We also investigated the extent to which these interactions associated with nature relatedness (using the NRS scale), well‐being (using overall happiness and psychological well‐being) and the variables that influence nature interactions and well‐being outcomes.Visitors who visited the protected nature area were more likely to interact with nature than those who only visited the garden. Nature interactions were significantly associated with an individual's nature relatedness and their perception of whether the site functioned more similarly to an urban park or a protected nature area. Living nearby was associated with greater attachment to and identity with the site, but also lower frequency of nature interactions. Nature interactions were associated with measures of well‐being, including overall happiness, attachment, identity and reflection, but varied depending on well‐being measures.Interactions with nature, and their benefits, are not equal based on both actual opportunity for interaction and perceptions of green spaces. Incorporating user preferences of urban green spaces for more wild nature that individuals also perceive as wilder may allow for greater interaction. Developing urban nature sites that allow for greater interaction can promote human well‐being associated with interactions and combat extinction of experience. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changing human behaviour and social systems are key to reversing the global biodiversity crisis. Pro‐environmental behaviour is guided by values and connection with nature, but because they have mostly been studied separately, the interplay between values and nature connection in influencing pro‐environmental behaviour remains unclear.In particular, it is uncertain whether people who hold anthropocentric values have a less positive connection with nature than those who hold ecocentric values, and whether nature protection behaviours differ between people with different values or strengths of connection to nature.We used a stratified survey of 2100 respondents across Australia to measure orientation towards nature. We created segments based on individual values and connection with nature and characterised each segment based on demographics, nature‐exposure, pro‐environmental behaviours, support for environmental policies and political alignment.We discovered that a quarter of respondents had anthropocentric values alongside a strong connection with nature. Moreover, of those with a strong connection with nature, people with anthropocentric values more frequently undertook certain pro‐environmental behaviours than those with ecocentric values.Our findings indicate that the strong expression of pro‐environmental behaviour is not limited to people with ecocentric values. Rather, people with different values and strengths of connection to nature engage in different types of impactful nature protection behaviours, challenging stereotypes about those with anthropocentric values.These results further suggest that behavioural intervention strategies could be tailored to reach sectors of society with various combinations of values and strengths of connection to nature, thus maximising the expression of pro‐environmental behaviour across the entire population. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 6 is to increase water use efficiency in all sectors. In the domestic sphere, water consumption is largely conditioned by the habits and behaviour of individuals. In this study, we investigate for the first time the influence of connectedness to and contact with nature on five different uses of water at home. Using ordered probit regressions with a sample of 874 students from the University of Granada (Spain), we found that connectedness to nature and nature contact is positively or non‐significantly related to different dimensions of water efficiency. The results indicate that in order to encourage pro‐environmental water use habits at home, efforts should be made to develop an ecocentric vision in schools and to promote school trips to explore and understand the nearest natural areas. These policies should be adapted to a wider international context as a way of addressing the global problem of water scarcity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By living far away from the family, college students lose social support from their families, and therefore, they may feel loneliness, and lack of attachment to the new environment. The main objective of this study was to investigate the factors affecting residential satisfaction (RS) of students living in dormitories. A survey was developed and distributed to 850 students of the dormitory of Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, Iran. After the data had been cleaned, the statistical analyses were conducted on 622 residents of the dormitory. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were utilized to capture the complex relationships among related constructs. The results revealed that the main factors that influenced RS were social relations and nature relatedness. The results confirmed the positive and significant effect of controllability and security on RS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citizen science and participatory conservation offer benefits to urban wildlife and help foster human–nature relationships in cities. To optimize conservation and social outcomes it is important that initiatives appeal to participants of a wide range of sociodemographic backgrounds. However, this can be challenging when motivation and willingness to undertake activities are influenced by socioecological context. In New Zealand, where control of invasive mammalian predators is a predominant strategy for conservation, trapping of rodents and mustelids has become a popular form of backyard conservation.To understand how the appeal of pest trapping compares with that of other conservation activities, we investigated relationships between sociodemographic characteristics of participants and willingness to undertake three different backyard conservation activities (trapping of pest mammals, monitoring of pest mammals and monitoring of native animals). We also examined barriers and motivations for participating in these activities.Willingness to engage in pest trapping was generally higher than that of the other activities, and although willingness scores for all activities were related to respondents' connection to nature, this relationship was weaker for pest trapping than for monitoring activities. Willingness was also positively related to nature dose for all three activities. Concern for the environment was the only significant motivator of participation for all three activities while social interaction, contributing to community and enhancing one's ego were positively related to willingness for the monitoring activities only.The more general appeal of pest trapping may reflect its more tangible outcomes for conservation or the additional benefits it offers participants through removal of domestic pests.Understanding why some activities appeal across a wide sociodemographic spectrum may allow improved project design that maximizes participant recruitment. By encouraging participation of a wide range of people, such activities could provide an opportunity for people to become more connected with nature. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is mounting concern that people living more urbanised, modern lifestyles have fewer and lower quality interactions with nature, and therefore have limited access to the associated health and well‐being benefits. Yet, variation in the different types of nature interactions and the factors that influence these interactions across populations are poorly understood.We compared four types of nature interactions by administering surveys across two cities that differ markedly in urbanisation pattern and population density—Singapore and Brisbane—: (a) indirect (viewing nature through a window at work or at home); (b) incidental (spending time in nature as part of work); (c) intentional interactions in gardens; and (d) intentional interactions in public urban greenspace.Our results show that Singapore respondents spent about half as much time (25.8 hr/week) interacting with nature as Brisbane respondents (52.3 hr/week), and indirect interactions were the most prevalent across both cities.Nature orientation, age, income and gender significantly predicted the duration of nature interactions in both cities, while self‐reported health, education and ethnicity additionally predicted the duration of nature interactions only for Brisbane. Also, the relationship(s) between each factor and duration could differ in direction and effect size between the types of nature interactions.As such, we conclude that there is much local variation in the dynamics of interactions between people and nature, and that focused studies are needed to develop effective interventions addressing declines in nature interactions in different locations. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization and urban lifestyles increasingly disconnect people from nature in a process that was termed the 'extinction of experience'. This loss of human–nature interactions can undermine both cognitive (ecological knowledge) and affective (emotional connection to nature) relations to nature, further impacting capabilities to experience, care for, benefit from and act to protect nature. Yet, the extent to which the urban life influences both cognitive and affective relations to nature, remains poorly understood and research is confined to a few countries and cultures.We explored how cognitive and affective relations to nature can be related to people's childhood and current place of residency. We expected that urban dwellers, who have less opportunities to experience nature than their rural counterparts, will be less connected to nature and will demonstrate lower ecological knowledge than their rural counterparts.We conducted four surveys in Israel, in urban and rural settings between 2015 and 2018 (N = 1706) to measure and compare (urban vs. rural) the following variables: (a) species identification skills (correctly identified); (b) familiarity (recognized), as two measures of cognitive relation with nature and (c) nature relatedness, as a measure of emotional connection to nature.The ability to identify common plant, bird and butterfly species was poor in general (Av. = 3.83 out of 12), and lower for urban dwellers (Av. = 2.48) compared to their rural counterparts (Av. = 6.56). Differences in correct species identifications between urban and rural dwellers varied with taxa and peaked for butterflies (only 26 respondents managed to identify one species or more). We also identified an important gap between familiarity and species identification skills, especially for urban residents. Finally, people who currently live or used to live in rural areas during their childhood had higher scores of nature relatedness than their urban counterparts.Our results highlight that decreased opportunity to interact with nature reduces cognitive and affective relations to nature. Such reductions can affect the overall preferences for human–nature relationships and exacerbate a pervasive negative cycle that modifies relational values such as, care for nature, sense of belonging, place and identity that influence both humans well‐being and environmental stewardship. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing research demonstrates a positive connection between psychedelics and increased nature relatedness. Enhanced affective ties toward nature are widely framed as being built into the pharmakon itself, and the relevance of experiences remains little understood. This paper turns to neoshamanic ayahuasca ceremonies in Europe, exploring the way specialists and attendants refer to nature in speech and performance. I argue that ritual framings performed during these ceremonies provide fertile ground for affective ties to emerge through substance‐induced experiences. I trace such framings by exploring how medicine and healers are being coded; how specific materialities are rendered meaningful; and how individual experiences are discussed at such retreats. I argue that even while participants prioritize individual healing, personal development, or the satisfaction of psychonautical curiosity, environmentalism appears to be anchored by the proceedings themselves. Thus, this paper opens up for analysis ceremonial substance use as a contact zone where coherence is produced intersubjectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing alienation of people from nature is profoundly concerning because people's interactions with nature affect well‐being, affinity for nature, and support of biodiversity conservation. Efforts to restore or enhance people's interactions with nature are, therefore, important to ensure sustainable human and wildlife communities, but little is known about how this can be achieved. A key factor that shapes the way people interact with nature is their affinity for nature (often measured as nature relatedness [NR]). We explored how using cues to experience nature as a means to induce NR situationally can influence the quality of people's nature interactions on visits to green spaces and their positive affect after the visit. Cues to experience are cues that guide individuals on how to interact with nature. We surveyed 1023 visitors to a nature reserve to examine the relationships between trait (i.e., stable and long‐lasting) and state (i.e., temporary, brief) NR, the quality of nature interactions, and positive affect. We also conducted a controlled experiment in which 303 participants spent 30 min outdoors on campus and reported the quality of their nature interactions and positive affect. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 9 cues‐to‐experience experimental groups (e.g., smell flowers, observe wildlife, turn off your phone) that differed in the psychological distance from nature that they prompted. Participants who received cues of close psychological distance from nature (e.g., smell and touch natural elements) interacted 3 to 4 times more with nature and reported 0.2 more positive affect than other participants. Our results demonstrate that providing cues to experience nature, which bring people closer to nature and potentially induce state NR, can enhance the quality of people's nature interactions and their positive affect. These results highlight the role of NR in high‐quality nature interactions and suggest the use of cues to experience as a promising avenue for inducing state NR and promoting meaningful interactions with biodiversity, thus, reconciling conservation and well‐being objectives. Article Impact Statement: Bringing people closer to nature can lead to meaningful nature interactions and increase positive affect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely believed that people living in cities have fewer and poorer daily experiences of nature, and that this contributes to the biodiversity crisis on the basis that if people do not know nature, they will not care for its conservation. In 1978, Pyle coined the term 'extinction of experience' to reflect the loss of opportunities to experience nature as urbanization progresses.However, evidence of an emotional disconnect from nature arising from an extinction of experience remains poorly documented. Here we repeat a study conducted in 1996 comprising household surveys and bird surveys in a neighbourhood of Singapore, one of the world's most densely populated cities. We investigate empirically whether experiences of nature, opportunities to experience nature and the emotional connection between people and nature have changed across 22 years.We discover that emotional connection with nature has actually increased among greenspace users and non‐users, while the frequency and duration of greenspace visits remained unchanged. Among greenspace users, the number of different nature elements experienced also remained unchanged and more frequent users demonstrated a stronger emotional connection with nature. We further found an increase in opportunities to experience local nature, as measured by bird species richness and abundance.While we found no evidence for an extinction of experience or an emotional disconnect from nature in this particular setting and timeframe in urban Singapore, similar studies elsewhere are necessary to explore whether there may be geographical, cultural or temporal variations. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is concern about the increasing loss of people's direct interactions with fauna and flora. This extinction of experience has many potential far‐reaching implications for both biodiversity and humans, including the decrease of public support for conservation issues and a reduction in the health benefits that humans experience when interacting with nature. However, knowledge of how experiences with biodiversity are distributed among different sectors of society and the key drivers of this distribution remains poor. Here, we report on the results of a nation‐wide online survey in Japan in which we explored the extent, distribution, and drivers of participant's direct experiences with wild flowering plants. Participants were asked to provide information on their sociodemographics, orientation toward nature, childhood residential environment, and whether they had experienced each of 21 wild flowering plant species. The reported number of wild flowering plant species that participants had experienced varied greatly. Older and female participants and those with childhoods in rural areas and with a greater orientation toward nature experienced a significantly higher number of interactions with flowering plant species. Plant species that prefer roadside environments (compared to grassland/farmland and forest‐dependent species) and are not on the Red List were likely to be experienced by participants. This novel study provides unique information about the interactions of people and the wildlife around them. Such information is crucial for the development of policies and strategies targeted to reduce the ongoing extinction of experience and its negative consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature relatedness has been explored from interdisciplinary perspectives and found to be related to greater well-being. However, nature relatedness has not been incorporated into counseling-based holistic wellness models. This study of the relationship between nature relatedness and wellness provides implications for wellness theory, counseling practice, and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]