The dark side of nature experience: Typology, dynamics and implications of negative sensory interactions with nature

Soga, Masashi; Gaston, Kevin J.

doi:10.1002/pan3.10383

Cited by 23 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 93 publications

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“…This result should be considered with caution, as the effect size here was rather low. However, it is important to note that nature interactions are not always positive (Soga & Gaston, 2022) and they vary between individuals and contexts as we showed here (e.g. age, childhood residence and nature relatedness).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 50%

Nature interactions and their associations with connection to nature and well‐being varies between different types of green spaces

Fleming

Shwartz

2023

People and Nature

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Increasing urbanization leads to greater loss of interaction with nature over time in a process described as the extinction of experience. Urban green spaces are some of the most prominent sites where individuals can access and interact with nature in urban areas. There is currently a gap in research around how different types of urban green spaces influence nature interactions, their relationships with human well‐being, and what influences these relationships. Greater knowledge of these connections can aid in the design of green spaces that can increase human well‐being and mitigate the extinction of experience. We conducted a visitor survey in an urban nature site in Israel, which consists of both a garden and protected nature area dominated by natural Mediterranean vegetation. We aimed to understand how visitors interacted with nature at the site and how the interactions differed between the protected nature area and the garden. Both frequency of interactions and number of total interactions were measured. We also investigated the extent to which these interactions associated with nature relatedness (using the NRS scale), well‐being (using overall happiness and psychological well‐being) and the variables that influence nature interactions and well‐being outcomes. Visitors who visited the protected nature area were more likely to interact with nature than those who only visited the garden. Nature interactions were significantly associated with an individual's nature relatedness and their perception of whether the site functioned more similarly to an urban park or a protected nature area. Living nearby was associated with greater attachment to and identity with the site, but also lower frequency of nature interactions. Nature interactions were associated with measures of well‐being, including overall happiness, attachment, identity and reflection, but varied depending on well‐being measures. Interactions with nature, and their benefits, are not equal based on both actual opportunity for interaction and perceptions of green spaces. Incorporating user preferences of urban green spaces for more wild nature that individuals also perceive as wilder may allow for greater interaction. Developing urban nature sites that allow for greater interaction can promote human well‐being associated with interactions and combat extinction of experience. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 50%

Nature interactions and their associations with connection to nature and well‐being varies between different types of green spaces

Fleming

Shwartz

2023

People and Nature

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“…Their examination provides insight into negative interactions with nature and contributes to a better understanding of individual disconnection from nature. Furthermore, Soga and Gaston (2022) help bridge between focusing on the individual's relationship and those factors that have a broad and collective aspect. For example, they describe the ‘opportunity effect’ as factors in the environment of a person that make a particular behaviour possible.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In response to this gap, Saunders and Luck (2016) emphasize a holistic approach that recognizes context in considering ecosystem function, specifically noting that an ecosystem function can be a service, disservice, or benign depending upon the context. Soga and Gaston (2022) have considered the outcomes of biphobia, disgust, and fear through studies of animal perception, humanwildlife conflict and environmental education. Their examination provides insight into negative interactions with nature and contributes to a better understanding of individual disconnection from nature.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, a breadth of societal organization is also largely overlooked. The multiple ways individuals and groups experience disconnection from nature, for example through anxiety, ecosystem disservices, fear of nature, human‐wildlife conflicts, nature deficit disorder, crime, virtual nature experiences and radical landscape change/solastalgia are poorly represented in connection to nature, place attachment, and relational values scholarship (Beyer et al, 2014; Elliott et al, 2020; Escobedo et al, 2011; Galway et al, 2019; Ives et al, 2016; Lapointe, 2020; Soga & Gaston, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Soga and Gaston (2022) have considered the outcomes of biphobia, disgust, and fear through studies of animal perception, human‐wildlife conflict and environmental education. Their examination provides insight into negative interactions with nature and contributes to a better understanding of individual disconnection from nature.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Disconnection from nature: Expanding our understanding of human–nature relations

et al. 2023

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The human relationship with nature is a topic that has been explored throughout human history. More recently, the idea of connection to nature has merged as an important transdisciplinary field of study. Despite increased scholarly attention to connection to nature, the notion of disconnection from nature remains undertheorized and understudied. In this perspective article, we argue for a more comprehensive understanding of disconnection from nature to strengthen theories of human‐nature relationships that goes beyond individual relationships and considers social and collective factors of disconnection, including institutional, socio‐cultural and power dimensions. Drawing on case insights, we present the ‘wheel of disconnection’ to illustrate how disconnections from nature manifest across individual or societal meaning‐making processes, thereby problematizing existing research that seeks to create dualisms between human positive and negative impacts on the environment in isolation from cultural or political contexts. We do not seek to discount research or important practical efforts to foster an individual's connection to nature by elevating disconnection. Instead, we hope that creating greater awareness and understanding of disconnection will be able to guide opportunities going forward for strengthening a connection to nature along a continuum from the individual to the social. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

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The research landscape of direct, sensory human–nature interactions

Evans,

Gaston,

Cox

et al. 2023

People and Nature

Self Cite

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Gaining a comprehensive understanding of the human–nature interactions research landscape can benefit researchers by providing insights into the most relevant topics, popular research areas and the distribution of topics across different disciplines, journals and regions. The research literature on direct human–nature interactions is constituted from a rich and diverse spectrum of disciplines. This multidisciplinary structure poses challenges in keeping up with developments and trends. We conducted a multidisciplinary text‐analysis review of research on direct, sensory human–nature interactions to understand the main topics of research, the types of interactions, the disciplines within which they manifest in the literature, their growth through time and their global localities and contexts. Our analysis of 2773 articles showed that there has been recent growth in research interest in positive human–nature interactions that is biased towards high‐income countries. There is a substantial body of research on negative human–nature interactions, mostly from the medical fields, which is distinct from research on positive human–nature interactions in other fields such as ecology, psychology, social science, environmental management and tourism. Of particular note is the very large amount of medical research on the causes and consequences of snake bites, particularly in Asia. Understanding the relationship between these two contrasting types of interactions is of significant practical importance. More recent attention towards positive human–nature interactions in high‐income societies biases views of the relationship between people and nature. Research into human–nature interactions needs to take the next step towards a unified and holistic understanding of the benefits and costs of direct experiences with nature. This step is crucial to achieve a more sustainable future that benefits both biodiversity and human society, during great environmental and climatic change. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

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The dark side of nature experience: Typology, dynamics and implications of negative sensory interactions with nature

Cited by 23 publications

References 93 publications

Nature interactions and their associations with connection to nature and well‐being varies between different types of green spaces

Nature interactions and their associations with connection to nature and well‐being varies between different types of green spaces

Disconnection from nature: Expanding our understanding of human–nature relations

The research landscape of direct, sensory human–nature interactions

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