Green exercise can be classified into three levels based on engagement with nature. Although this classification was proposed more than a decade ago, few studies have investigated it since. The present study examined the effects of green exercise levels on engagement with nature and physical activity (PA) through a field experiment. A questionnaire was distributed to 95 students from a technology university in Central Taiwan to measure their level of engagement with nature in people-environment transactions, while their PA was measured using three instruments. In addition, because social interaction may distract individual attention from activities or their environments, the present study incorporated the presence of partners as a control variable. The results revealed that (1) engagement with nature and PA significantly differed between the levels of green exercise, and the higher the level of green exercise participated in, the greater the level of engagement with nature; and (2) although the presence of partners did not influence the level of engagement with nature, it significantly affected the level of PA.

No abstract

No abstract

The current environmental attitude models are primarily composed of environmental knowledge, value, and intention. However, environmental aestheticians have maintained that aesthetic experience triggered by nature is the cornerstone of promoting environmental ethics. To verify this belief, this study proposes a new framework, which integrates the rational and emotional approaches, to describe the environmental attitudes of the public. Questionnaires are used to collect data from college students in Taiwan, and a total of 275 valid responses are received. The collected data are analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results support the proposed hypotheses. In addition to reconfirming the importance of environmental knowledge in the traditional models, this study confirms that aesthetic experience is also a determining dimension. The findings show that rational cognition and aesthetic perception complement and interact with each other and can strengthen environmental ethics, thereby enhancing the intention of pro-environmental behavior. The results of this study can serve as a reference for environmental protection or environmental education practice.

The development of a coherent identity status, also referred to as ego identity, is critical during adolescence and early-adulthood. In the long run, an individual’s ego identity status may influence the sustainability of his or her well-being. Researchers have attempted to discover the predictors or factors correlated with one’s identity status. In that search, aesthetic experience, as a unique means of knowing oneself and the world, seemed to be overlooked. Philosophical and psychological discourses have asserted that aesthetic experience stimulated identity discovery and formation; this hypothesis, however, is not supported by strong quantitative evidence. Thus, an empirical study with a quantitative approach was conducted to examine whether those who have frequent aesthetic experiences are more likely to possess a mature ego identity. A sample of 758 valid questionnaires was collected. The results supported the argument that aesthetic experience favors the development of ego identity. In addition, this study revealed that sociodemographic backgrounds such as women, fine arts and design majors, and religious individuals were more likely to have a rich aesthetic life. The results imply that aesthetic experience serves as a crucial aspect that contributes to the wellness of personality development and promotes a healthy and sustainable quality of life.