Effects of contact with nature on connectedness, environmental identity and evoked contents

Abstract

Natural experiences influence identity and the way of interacting with the environment, and their effects are varied, including wellbeing and positive thoughts towards nature. This study analyses the effects produced as a result of real or virtual experiences of nature. A total of 288 people took part in this research, distributed among three experimental conditions: nature walk, images of nature and control group. Changes were registered in terms of connectedness and environmental identity, caused by the experimental conditions and differences in the free evocations generated. Connection to nature was higher among those who took part in the nature walks, related to the evocation of positive emotions, memories of social experiences in nature and pro-environmental reflections. These results are interesting for the field of environmental education and the promotion of environmental values and behaviours.