Underestimating Nearby Nature: Affective Forecasting Errors Obscure the Happy Path to Sustainability

Modern lifestyles disconnect people from nature, and this may have adverse consequences for the well-being of both humans and the environment. In two experiments, we found that although outdoor walks in nearby nature made participants much happier than indoor walks did, participants made affective f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychological science 2011-09, Vol.22 (9), p.1101-1106
Main Authors: Nisbet, Elizabeth K., Zelenski, John M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Affect
Applied psychology
Behavioral psychology
Biological and medical sciences
Biophilia hypothesis
Conservation of Natural Resources
Ecological sustainability
Emotions
Environment
Environment. Ecology
Environmental effects
Environmental psychology
Estimation
Female
Forecasting
Forecasting techniques
Forecasts
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Happiness
Humans
Judgement
Judgment
Lifestyles
Male
Mental health
Middle Aged
Natural environments
Nature
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Relatedness
Research Reports
Social psychology
Sustainability
Tunnels
Walking
Wellbeing
Young Adult
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Summary:Modern lifestyles disconnect people from nature, and this may have adverse consequences for the well-being of both humans and the environment. In two experiments, we found that although outdoor walks in nearby nature made participants much happier than indoor walks did, participants made affective forecasting errors, such that they systematically underestimated nature's hedonic benefitThe pleasant moods experienced on outdoor nature walks facilitated a subjective sense of connection with nature, a construct strongly linked with concern for the environment and environmentally sustainable behavior. To the extent that affective forecasts determine choices, our findings suggest that people fail to maximize their time in nearby nature and thus miss opportunities to increase their happiness and relatedness to nature. Our findings suggest a happy path to sustainability, whereby contact with nature fosters individual happiness and environmentally responsible behavior.
ISSN:0956-7976
1467-9280
DOI:10.1177/0956797611418527