Current research supports a positive connection between nature exposure and emotion regulationThis review of the literature focused on how nature exposure and other relevant nature-related aspects impact emotion regulation processes and specific strategies. Emotion regulation was defined as “the strategies and skills individuals employ to effectively manage their emotions, adaptively cope with different situations, and attain desired emotional states.”
The search for relevant literature was conducted by a single review author who also made the study selections and extracted the data. Five relevant databases were searched using search words relevant to emotion regulation and nature. The search was limited to articles in peer-reviewed journals and published in English. Studies were included in the review only if they “clearly reported their research aims, employed appropriate methods and analyses, and provided valid and clear statements of findings.” Twenty-seven articles were reviewed. Several articles reported more than one study, resulting in a total of 33 unique studies.
Most of the articles were published in recent years, with only one being published prior to 2013. The studies were conducted in 14 different countries and included a total of 172,821 participants. The sample size of the participants ranged from 8 to 172,490. Most of the participants were healthy young and middle-aged adults. A limited number of studies included children and individuals with specific health conditions. All but two of the studies used quantitative research methods. Some of the studies focused on the direct effects of nature exposure through such activities as nature walks, park visits, viewing nature images, or living in green neighborhoods. Other studies “explored the role of theoretical constructs such as the feeling of connection and relatedness with nature.” Some studies investigated emotion regulation in general; others specifically investigated particular strategies, “such as rumination, mindfulness, cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression.” Results generally indicate that nature exposure may have some beneficial effects on emotion regulation processes, as well as on specific emotion regulation strategies. Findings also show an association between nature connectedness and affect regulatory processes.
This review, while supporting a positive connection between nature exposure and emotion regulation, highlights the importance of further research on this topic. Specific ideas for future research are offered.
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