Numerous studies have explored how empathy, or the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, can motivate helping behaviors toward people. Fewer studies have investigated the connection between empathy and helping behaviors toward nature. Of the studies that have investigated this connection, most have focused on induced empathy with nature (IEN). IEN is when a person assumes the perspective of a living being in nature (for instance, a trapped animal) and, in doing so, feels what that being feels. These IEN studies have shown that experiencing induced empathy can lead to conservation behaviors. Very few studies have explored dispositional empathy with nature (DEN), which is a person's predisposition (character trait) to understand and empathize with the natural world. The researcher conducted five related studies to examine the effects of DEN and the factors that may cause DEN to vary from person to person. Specifically, the researcher tested four propositions derived from previous research on empathy (propositions are similar to hypotheses and are used when the research is not conducting laboratory experiments). The first proposition focused on the effects of DEN, while the other three focused on individual variation in DEN:
People with stronger DEN exhibit more conservation behaviors (this study defined conservation behaviors as environmental movement support and green behaviors).
Females have stronger DEN than men.
People who feel a stronger connection to nature exhibit stronger DEN.
People who believe nature is sentient (i.e., having the capacity to feel and perceive) are more likely to have stronger DEN.
The first proposition stems from research that shows a link between empathy toward humans and helping behaviors. Given these findings, the researcher proposed a link between empathy toward nature and conservation behaviors. The second proposition was derived from studies that indicate females are socialized to be more empathetic toward people. The researcher proposed that females, in addition to having stronger empathy toward humans, also have stronger empathy toward nature. The researcher developed the third proposition based on studies that show that people feel stronger empathy toward those with whom they feel connected. Finally, the researcher developed the fourth proposition based on studies that indicate recognizing sentience is a prerequisite for feeling empathy.
The researcher conducted five studies to test the above propositions. The researcher developed a survey, the Dispositional Empathy with Nature Scale (DENS), to test propositions 1 and 2 in all the studies and used Study 1 to confirm its accuracy. The DENS asked respondents to rate their level of agreement (1 = strongly disagree to 7 = strongly agree) with 10 empathetic statements. Examples of statements included: “I feel the pain the suffering animals and plants are experiencing” and “I imagine how I would feel if I were the suffering animals and plants.” Additionally, Studies 4 and 5 tested propositions 3 and 4, respectively.
Study 1 used the DENS to test propositions 1 and 2, and to determine whether DEN is a distinct trait that motivates conservation behavior. A total of 288 Chinese undergraduate students (average age of 20; 55% male, 45% female) from a university in Hong Kong participated in this study for partial course credit. Results showed that DEN can predict conservation behavior independently from similar factors, such as agreeableness, openness, or altruistic concern. Additionally, results showed that stronger DEN is related to greater engagement in conservation behaviors, thereby supporting proposition 1. Further, results supported proposition 2, that females have stronger DEN and are more likely to participate in the environmental movement (although results showed no difference among genders in terms of pro-environmental behaviors).
For Study 2, the researcher replicated Study 1 but with participants who were culturally, ethnically, and geographically different than participants in the first study. The researcher recruited participants through Amazon Mechanical Turk, a crowdsourcing website that pays people to participate in survey research. A total of 172 people (average age of 32; 62% female, 38% male; most white) from the US elected to participate in this study. Similar to the results from the first study, Study 2 results supported propositions 1 and 2 and showed that DEN is distinctly different from other factors known to influence conservation behaviors.
Study 3 administered the DENS at two time points to examine propositions 1 and 2 over time. A total of 92 Chinese employees (average age of 31; 35% male, 65% female) from a university in Hong Kong participated in this study. Participants completed the DENS two times, each a month apart. Results showed that DEN is a stable trait and is significantly related to environmental movement support and pro-environmental behaviors. Like the previous two studies, the results showed that DEN was stronger in females than in males and that females were more likely to support the environmental movement and engage in green behaviors than their male counterparts.
Study 4 tested propositions 1, 2, and 3. This study included 175 Chinese undergraduate students (average age of 20; 47% female, 53% male) from a university in Hong Kong for partial course credit. None of the participants in this study had participated in previous studies. As in previous studies, the author used the DENS to test propositions 1 and 2. Results supported both propositions. Additionally, the author used the Connectedness to Nature Scale and the Inclusion of Nature in Self Scale (both questionnaires) to measure empathy toward nature. Results supported proposition 3 and indicated that a stronger DEN was significantly related to stronger connectedness to nature and greater overlap between nature and self, both of which predict conservation behaviors.
Study 5 tested propositions 1, 2, and 4. A total of 78 Chinese undergraduate students (average age of 20; 69% male, 31% female) from a university in Hong Kong participated in the study for partial course credit. There was no overlap among participants in Studies 1, 4, or 5. The researcher used the same methods as previous studies to test propositions 1 and 2, and results supported both propositions. To test proposition 4, the author used the Individual Differences in Anthropomorphism Questionnaire. Results showed that a stronger DEN was significantly related to the belief that nature is sentient, which was shown to be a strong predictor of conservation behaviors.
After completing all five studies, the researcher used the data to conduct a meta-analysis to determine whether the results from the individual studies varied across different sample populations. They found that the results were homogenous across all studies, indicating that the results may hold true across cultures. Overall, results suggested a moderate to strong correlation between DEN and conservation behaviors and a significantly stronger DEN among women than among men.
This collection of studies had limitations. First, it did not explore the influence of environmental self-efficacy; thus, it did not provide insight into whether DEN only motivates conservation behaviors in individuals who believe their actions have a positive impact on the environment. Second, the studies focused only on negative empathy with nature (i.e., feeling distress when nature is hurt) and did not explore the possibility of nature inspiring positive empathy. Further research should explore whether experiencing joy for nature may predict conservation behaviors. Finally, the researcher only included two different cultures in the studies. To truly understand cultural differences in DEN, future research should include diverse cultures.
To foster and motivate conservation behaviors, the researcher recommends integrating DEN into childhood education because that is when empathetic tendencies and practices develop. The researcher suggests that encouraging children to consider the perspectives of living beings in the natural world can facilitate DEN development. The researcher also suggests that completing environmental service-learning projects can build DEN. The researcher recommends that practitioners offer opportunities for children to learn outdoors so that they form connections with nature, which strengthens DEN. Lastly, the researcher recommends that educators facilitate activities in nature that build self-efficacy.
The Bottom Line
This research focused on five related studies that examined dispositional empathy with nature (DEN)—a person's predisposition to understand and feel for nature—and factors that may strengthen DEN. Results from across the studies indicated that participants with stronger DEN exhibited more conservation behaviors and that females had stronger DEN. Results also showed that participants who felt a stronger connection to nature exhibit stronger DEN, and participants who believed nature is sentient were more likely to have stronger DEN. To strengthen DEN and encourage conservation behaviors, the researcher recommends integrating DEN training into childhood education, integrating more outdoor play into children's lives, and encouraging children to consider the perspectives of living beings in nature.