Why does spending time in nature promote connectedness to nature?

It may seem like a given that spending time in nature would lead to greater connectedness to nature. However, good science doesn’t take anything for granted. Moreover, it is useful to understand why a predictor leads to an outcome—in this case, why time in nature promotes connectedness—because it can help us figure out how to ramp up the effect, so to speak.

In one of my early studies, I tested whether the reason that spending time in nature reliably leads to increased connectedness has anything to do with the impact that natural contexts have on the way that we think about ourselves.

In this study, we had participants either walk around in Penn State’s Hartley Wood (nature condition) or walk around the law building (urban condition). While on their walk, participants were asked to record their thoughts out loud (on a device we gave them at the start of the study). When participants returned to the starting location, they completed a short survey that included a measure of connectedness to nature and a measure of self-awareness.

After analyzing the data we found that a specific chain reaction (i.e., “mediation” in statistical terms) could partially explain the positive effect of spending time in nature on connectedness. Specifically, we found that spending time in nature made people less self-conscious (i.e., less worried about how other people viewed them) which, in turn, allowed them to feel more connected to nature. Thus, we found evidence to suggest that part of the reason spending time in nature results in increased connectedness to nature is because of its effect on the way we think about ourselves.

So, perhaps one thing to keep in mind when trying to connect to nature is to not worry so much about how we look to others.

Read more:

Lengieza, M. L. & Swim, J. K. (2021). Diminished public self-awareness in nature contributes to the positive effects of contact with nature on connectedness to nature. Ecopsychology, 13(3), 210-218. http://doi.org/10.1089/eco.2020.0047