Happiness is in our Nature: Exploring Nature Relatedness as a Contributor to Subjective Well-Being

Nature relatedness (NR) describes the affective, cognitive, and experiential aspects of human–nature relationships (Nisbet in Environ Behav 41: 715–740, 2009 ). Evidence from three studies suggests that individual differences in NR are associated with differences in well-being. In study 1 ( N  = 184...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of happiness studies 2011-04, Vol.12 (2), p.303-322
Main Authors: Nisbet, Elizabeth K., Zelenski, John M., Murphy, Steven A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cognition
Economics
Emotions
Environment
Environmental education
Environmental impact
Happiness
Health
Hypotheses
Individual Differences
Intervention
Mental health
Nature
Personality and Social Psychology
Philosophy
Positive Psychology
Quality of Life Research
Research Paper
Social Sciences
Well Being
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Summary:Nature relatedness (NR) describes the affective, cognitive, and experiential aspects of human–nature relationships (Nisbet in Environ Behav 41: 715–740, 2009 ). Evidence from three studies suggests that individual differences in NR are associated with differences in well-being. In study 1 ( N  = 184), we explore associations between NR and a variety of well-being indicators, and use multiple regression analyses to demonstrate the unique relationship of NR with well-being, while controlling for other environmental measures. We replicate well-being correlates with a sample of business people ( N  = 145) in Study 2. In study 3 ( N  = 170), we explore the influence of environmental education on NR and well-being, and find that changes in NR mediate the relationship between environmental education and changes in vitality. We discuss the potential for interventions to improve psychological health and promote environmental behaviour.
ISSN:1389-4978
1573-7780
DOI:10.1007/s10902-010-9197-7