Connectedness to nature, as defined in the psychological literature, emphasizes a merging of self and nature, or a sense of oneness with nature. Individuals who include nature in their sense of self tend to be more pro-environmental in their attitudes and behaviors and tend to have better psychological wellbeing. While connectedness to nature has received considerable attention in the literature, we still have only limited understanding about how such connectedness is developed. The purpose of this systematic review of the literature was to identify key concepts that predict and help explain the development of connectedness to nature and to provide future directions for research.
Findings from the 85 studies included in this review were categorized according to three emergent themes: (1) situational contexts associated with connectedness; (2) individual difference predictors; and (3) internal psychological states. Situational contexts include a variety of forms and activities – some involving direct contact with nature; some only indirect or mediated exposure. Individual difference predictors include demographic characteristics, personality, and worldviews. Internal psychological states as related to connectedness to nature include mindfulness, self-awareness, and affect.
Of the potential antecedents of connectedness, contact with nature is perhaps the most well documented. Related studies generally conclude that childhood contact with nature promotes connectedness to nature during the childhood years and subsequent adult contact with nature. Some research, however, reports different results. At times, contact with nature – or some feature of the experience – inhibits or diminishes connectedness. Research focusing on individual characteristics as predictors of connectedness suggests that “our sense of connectedness might be influenced by age. This may be especially true for children, with younger children showing more connectedness than older children. While a few studies suggest that women may experience more connectedness than men, any association between gender and connectedness is tenuous at best. Some aspects of personality seem to influence connectedness, most notably in the areas of openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Worldviews associated with connectedness tend to reflect attitudes and self-transcendence. Psychological processes potentially influencing an individual's connectedness to nature include decreased public self-awareness, increased positive affect and, particularly, mindfulness.
The findings of this review highlight the need for more research on different forms of contact with nature and investigations into when and why contact with nature promotes or fails to promote connectedness. More investigations into the effects of age and gender are also warranted, as are three understudied demographics—education, race, and socioeconomic status. “The primary implications highlighted by the review are a greater need for theories delineating the formation of connectedness, a greater focus on process, and increased differentiation between similar antecedents of connectedness.”
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