A Measure of Nature Connectedness for Children and Adults: Validation, Performance, and Insights

With benefits to both human well-being and pro-nature conservation behaviors, nature connectedness is emerging as an important psychological construct for a sustainable future. The growing research and applied and policy-related interests require a straightforward measure of nature connectedness tha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2019, Vol.11 (12), p.3250
Main Authors: Richardson, Miles, Hunt, Anne, Hinds, Joe, Bragg, Rachel, Fido, Dean, Petronzi, Dominic, Barbett, Lea, Clitherow, Theodore, White, Matthew
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
Behavior
Children
Climate change
Emotions
Happiness
Internet
Nature
Population
Psychological factors
Sustainability
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Summary:With benefits to both human well-being and pro-nature conservation behaviors, nature connectedness is emerging as an important psychological construct for a sustainable future. The growing research and applied and policy-related interests require a straightforward measure of nature connectedness that is suitable for both children and adult populations. To establish the reliability of the new Nature Connection Index (NCI) three factor analyses were conducted. One was based on a large Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) dataset for adults (n = 3568) with a replication from data sets collected online (n = 553), and a third used MENE data from children (n = 351). To validate the NCI as a measure for nature connectedness an online comparison study (n = 153) included the NCI alongside other established measures. The results showed that the NCI was a reliable and valid scale that offers a short, simple alternative to other measures of nature connectedness, particularly for populations including both children and adults, measured face to face or online. The utility of the NCI is also supported, with variations associated with various pro-environmental and pro-conservation behaviors observed, and importantly the NCI also revealed changes in nature connectedness across the lifespan.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su11123250