People with sensory processing sensitivity connect strongly to nature across five dimensions

Autor: Jennifer M. Holzer, Gillian Dale, Julia Baird
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy, Vol 20, Iss 1 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 15487733
1548-7733
DOI: 10.1080/15487733.2024.2341493
Popis: Human connections to nature are critical to the sustainability of life on Earth. Nature connections are often linked with pro-environmental behaviors. Therefore, a better understanding of the nuances of human-nature connections can help inform policies and practices to advance sustainability. Connections to nature research has rarely investigated nuances like the nature connections of subpopulations or distinguished between types of nature connections. This article reports on an investigation of the subpopulation of highly sensitive individuals (HSPs), a group comprising about one-third of the general population thatexhibits higher levels of sensitivity to stimuli, greater depth of processing, and stronger emotional and physiological reactivity to both positive and negative stimuli than the general population, a suite of traits known as “sensory processing sensitivity” or “environmental sensitivity.” We assessed the nature connections of this group across five nature-connection types: material, experiential, cognitive, emotional, and philosophical. We found that HSPs hold deeper nature connections than less sensitive individuals with respect to all five connection types. Additionally, variability in nature-connection scores decreased as sensitivity increased, showing a significant trend. Future research can investigate links between nature connections and pro-environmental behavior in this population and the potential mediating role of specific psychological characteristics. We also recommend that researchers consider including sensitivity in future connections to nature assessments.
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