"Connection to nature" as discussed in the academic literature includes both emotional and cognitive elements. Early research emphasized the emotional aspects of connection to nature. An emotional affinity toward nature (EATN) scale was developed, which includes items measuring such concepts as love for nature and feeling of oneness with nature. Other scales measuring different concepts of emotional connection to nature were also developed. These include connectedness to nature (CTN), inclusion of nature in the self (INS), and commitment to nature (COM). These four concepts are essentially unidimensional, in that they focus on one specific aspect of the connection between humans and nature. Other work presents more multidimensional concepts of connection to nature and includes cognitive aspects. Related scales for measuring these concepts include environmental identity (EID), nature relatedness (NR), and connectivity with nature (CWN). Similarities among these scales seem apparent, yet they emphasize different aspects of connection to nature.
Two separate studies were conducted to clarify how these various concepts and measures are similar to, or different from, each other. A three-step model guided the process. The first step involved examining whether these concepts and scales shared a common construct. The second step involved examining the different measures in relation to some criterion variables. If the measures differ in relation to these variables, they can be considered unique in certain conceptual aspects. The third step sought to determine if an individual measure shows unique, incremental contribution beyond the common factor in predicting the criterion variables. If so, its uniqueness warrants consideration.
Other than involving different samples, the two studies followed similar procedures. The first study involved 322 undergraduate students from Hong Kong. The second study involved 185 participants from the United States representing a broader age range and people with a more diverse background. Participants from Hong Kong completed a questionnaire package containing five different measures: connection to nature, traits, values, subjective well-being, and environmental behavior. Participants from the US completed a questionnaire package with three different measures: connection to nature, environmental behavior, and contact with nature.
Overall results showed that a common construct is at the core of the connection to nature measures. These measures “shared highly similar correlations with various criterion variables and did not show much unique predictive power when their common factor was controlled for.” Results, however, also provided evidence of differences. “Some measures had stronger correlations with the criterion variables than did others, and had unique, though small, incremental predictive power.” Thus, while this research found strong convergence among the various measures of connected to nature, it also identified ways in which the concepts and measures differ. Theoretical and methodological implications of these findings are discussed. Recommendations for future research are also offered.
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