Character strengths that impact nature relatedness traits in higher education students

Establishing a sense of interdependence with one's natural surroundings is a critical element of environmental education. Those aspects of interaction have a significant influence on the way individuals behave and view their natural world, known as Nature Relatedness (NR). A person with strong NR feels connected with nature, a sense of agency to care for nature, and is comfortable and desires to be in nature. NR is theorized to reflect character strengths (CS). Character strengths, like kindness, self-regulation, gratitude, and curiosity, can be cultivated (as opposed to personality strengths) and as such are often the target of educational interventions. Previous studies have shown that character traits such as agreeableness and openness are related to NR. However, this relationship has not been studied. The researchers in this study examined the relationship between NR and an individual's CS, specifically they aimed to see if the two are associated and which character strengths differ in those with high and low NR.

Researchers gathered a sample of 1,200 participants from a Spanish university. The participants were first- and last-year undergraduates, with concentrations in law, management, and engineering. Students were given a 10-minute questionnaire made up of 80 questions (2 control questions and 78 research questions). The questionnaire consisted of two sets of instruments that measured CS and NR. CS was measured through the 72-item Values in Action survey. In this survey, 24 character strengths are measured through items each. It included statements such as “I have never quit a task before it is done” that were answered on a five-point scale from “very much unlike me” (1) to “very much like me” (5). NR was measured through the 6-item Nature-Relatedness Scale. If individuals failed to answer the control questions or finished in less than seven minutes, their data was omitted- this was because researchers deemed seven minutes to be the baseline time to consider the test to have been completed effectively. In total, researchers received 967 questionnaires. An assessment rubric was used to evaluate everyone's response. The researchers then used multiple data analysis tools to evaluate if CS predicted NR.

Results showed the CS data was strongly correlated with NR data, thus showing the two outcomes are related to each other. Researchers found that the CS “appreciation of beauty” had the highest level of variation among those with low and high NR; those with a higher appreciation of beauty had higher NR scores. Other CS that related highly to NR include love of learning, creativity, and zest, meaning high scores on these CS also correlated with high NR. The researchers refer to these four CS as “signature strengths for NR.”

There are limitations with this study. The study is possibly the first attempt in academia to assess CS and its relation to NR. Comparing and validating this data with other studies is limited. This study took place at only one university in Spain, thus difficult to generalize this data outside of that demographic. Lastly, the researchers acknowledge that the assessment rubric may not have captured CS traits and characteristics fully.

Based on these results, the researchers suggest educational interventions targeted at character strengths could be implemented in environmental education programs to nurture NR, thus expanding how NR can be achieved. Specifically, appreciation of beauty should be fostered in programming, along with the other signature strengths for NR. Programmers can embrace the idea that beauty is everywhere, including art, our ideas, and in nature. Service-learning, regular nature walks, and journaling through “beauty logs” could all be implemented.