Nature Experiences in Childhood as a Driver of Connectedness with Nature and Action for Nature: A Review

Abstract

As many studies show, action for nature is related to connectedness with nature, and both have roots in nature experiences during childhood and youth. Through a literature review, we combine empirical studies on the interplay between experiences in nature during childhood and youth, connectedness with nature, and action for nature and uncover a new way of structuring understandings of connectedness with nature: humans and nature as separate yet related entities (intertwined), one as part of the other (including), and as one entity (indistinguishable). Although the interplay between experiences, connectedness, and action for nature has been clearly demonstrated, the underlying mechanisms are still to be unraveled. Studying this interplay through the lens of these three different understandings of nature contributes to elucidating the underlying mechanisms. We suggest how connectedness can be strengthened in terms of the findings of the studies included in the review and present two potential pathways: through experiences and through identification. Finally, we provide recommendations for future research using the integral ecology framework and call for more diversity in research methodologies and respondents.

A Multidimensional Approach to Strengthening Connectedness with Nature in Everyday Life: Evaluating the Earthfulness Challenge

“…Research on connectedness with nature has increased considerably over the past few decades [13,21,22], and several concepts and measures have been developed, with strong convergence among them, but also differences that need to be recognized [23]. Connectedness with nature has proved to be a useful concept in multiple disciplines; thus, it risks becoming a catch-all term, making it challenging to have a comprehensive understanding of the concept [16].…”

“…Connectedness with nature has proved to be a useful concept in multiple disciplines; thus, it risks becoming a catch-all term, making it challenging to have a comprehensive understanding of the concept [16]. Recent review articles have structured this diversity in terms of, for example, different dimensions of connectedness [13] and types of connectedness [22]. Previous studies showed that the meaning ascribed to connectedness with nature requires considering a specific context, as it may differ depending on the type of nature [29,30] or the cultural context considered [28].…”

“…Recognizing the importance of connectedness with nature also has a long history, and calls to reconnect with nature have become increasingly loud and frequent, especially in Western societies [14,20]. Consequently, connectedness has been increasingly studied over the past few decades in a variety of fields and disciplines, such as biology, psychology, and education [13,14,21,22]. This has resulted in different concepts and measures related to a similar notion [23], and several frameworks for reconnecting with nature are being developed and tested [14,[24][25][26][27] (also see Section 1.1.2).…”

“…Despite these efforts, the calls for reconnecting with nature remain vague [14] for two overarching reasons. First, the term "connectedness with nature" remains elusive, as it has different meanings in different contexts and encompasses various dimensions [22]. To contribute concrete insights into how connectedness with nature in everyday life can be strengthened, we sought to understand the (context-dependent) meanings that people ascribe to connectedness with nature.…”

Formative experiences and psychological distance in the lives of contemporary environmentalists

“…Emerging in the 1980s, SLE research seeks to understand what early life experiences motivate people to enter environmental protection pathways ( Tanner, 1980 ; Payne, 1999 ; Chawla, 2020 ; Chawla and Gould, 2020 ; Van Heel et al, 2023 ) or to understand the antecedents behind broader environmental protective value and behaviors ( Howell and Allen, 2017 ; Rosa et al, 2018 ). Within SLE research, engaged persons have named nature experiences as formative ( Williams and Chawla, 2016 ; Howell and Allen, 2017 ; Barratt Hacking et al, 2020 ), which may include, for example, camping and hiking outdoors.…”