"How Connectedness to Nature Relates to Well-Being over Time" by Amy Knepple Carney

Date of Graduation

2018

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

PhD

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Julie Hicks Patrick

Committee Co-Chair

Amy Gentzler

Committee Member

Amy Herschell

Committee Member

Chad Pierskalla

Abstract

Correlational and experimental studies have found evidence that connectedness to nature (CN) leads to increases in well-being. Higher CN relates to higher positive affect, lower negative affect, and better health (Herzog & Strevey, 2008; Korpela & Ylen, 2007; Mayer, Frantz, Bruehlman-Senecal, & Dolliver, 2009). Little research, though, has examined the relation of CN and well-being over time. With the lack of longitudinal data, it is impossible to assess how CN might be associated with well-being and health over a person's lifetime. This study is among the first to evaluate CN and well-being with three-time points. Final analyses were conducted on three times of measurement with sample sizes varying from 152 to 77. It was found that CN is a stable construct over time, with correlations ranging from r = .78 to r = .85. To further corroborate the evidence of stability, repeated measures analysis of variance show no significant differences between waves of CN, F (1, 60) = .45, p = .51. It was also found that CN was positively related to positive affect over time, with correlations ranging from r = .28 to r = .31. Lastly, it was found that covariates of age, gender, and location contribute to CN and the CN and well-being relation. This study advances the field in four important ways. First, the evidence shows that CN is related to well-being. Second, the evidence shows stability in CN, over at least a 2-year period. Third, predictors like age, gender, and location play a role in the examination of CN and well-being. Lastly, the current evidence shows support for both broaden-and-build and the ecological self theory in defining the CN and well-being relations.

Share

COinS