Spending time in nature is often associated with relaxation and well-being. A recent study published in Journal of Environmental Psychology The study found that exposure to nature not only benefits physical and mental health, but also promotes prosocial behaviors, or actions intended to benefit others. Across five methodologically diverse studies, researchers consistently found that exposure to nature increases prosociality, primarily mediated by a sense of self-transcendence.
Previous studies have consistently shown that exposure to nature can reduce stress, improve mood, and enhance overall mental well-being. Additionally, contact with nature has been associated with increased cooperation and environmentally friendly behaviors.
In their new study, the researchers sought to determine whether the positive effects of nature contact on prosocial behaviors (actions intended to benefit others or the community) could be observed beyond environmental contexts. They were particularly interested in identifying the underlying mechanisms by which nature contact might promote prosociality.
The first two studies (Study 1a and Study 1b) used correlational methodologies to examine the relationship between nature contact and prosocial behaviors. Study 1a included 339 community members recruited online. Participants completed questionnaires assessing their daily nature contact, nature connectedness, and prosocial tendencies. Nature contact was measured using the Nature Contact Questionnaire, which included items such as “Last week, you bought flowers to decorate the room, dried flowers, or artificial flowers.”
Connectedness to nature was measured using the Connectedness to Nature Scale, which included items such as “I feel part of the larger natural world, like a tree in a forest.” Prosocial tendencies were assessed using the Prosocial Tendencies Measure, which asked participants to rate statements such as “I tend to help people who are really struggling or in desperate need of help.”
Results from Study 1a revealed significant positive associations between nature contact, nature connectedness, and prosocial tendencies. Mediation analysis showed that nature connectedness partially explained the relationship between nature contact and prosocial behaviors.
Study 1b involved 360 employees from organizations who also completed surveys similar to those in Study 1a. In addition to measuring nature connection and prosocial tendencies, this study included assessments of self-transcendence and materialism. Self-transcendence was measured using items such as “I feel that on a higher level, we all share a common bond,” while materialism was assessed using items such as “I envy people who have expensive houses, cars, and clothes.”
The results of Study 1b showed that both self-transcendence and materialism reduction had positive effects on prosocial behaviors of nature contact. The relationships between nature contact, self-transcendence, and materialism reduction were significant, suggesting that these factors play a role in enhancing prosocial tendencies.
Studies 2 and 3 used experimental designs to causally test the impact of nature contact on prosocial behaviors. In Study 2, 194 college students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: watching a nature video, an urban video, or a blank screen (control). After watching the six-minute videos, participants completed tasks to measure prosocial behaviors, such as willingness to donate to charity and participation in a prisoner’s dilemma game. They also rated their feelings of self-transcendence and connection to nature.
Results from Study 2 demonstrated that participants who watched nature videos reported greater self-transcendence and were more willing to donate to charity than those who watched urban or control videos. The nature contact condition also led to greater cooperation in the prisoner’s dilemma game. Mediation analyses revealed that self-transcendence, but not nature connection, significantly moderated the relationship between nature contact and prosocial behaviors.
Study 3 followed a similar experimental design with 188 college students. Participants were again randomly assigned to watch nature, city, or control videos. Then, they engaged in a trust game and real-life helping situations to measure actual prosocial behaviors. Additionally, they completed surveys to assess self-transcendence, nature connection, and materialism.
Results from Study 3 showed that participants in nature contact demonstrated greater trust and more helping behavior than those in urban or control conditions. Mediation analyses showed that self-transcendence and reduced materialism had a significant mediating effect on the effects of nature contact on prosocial behavior, whereas nature connection had no effect.
Study 4 extended the investigation to a real-world setting by asking participants to take photographs over five days. A total of 201 organizational employees were recruited and randomly assigned to take photographs of nature scenes, urban scenes, or without specific instructions (free condition).
Before and after the five-day task, participants completed the Nature Connection Questionnaire to measure their level of connection with nature. After the task, they participated in a public goods game, which measured their contributions to a shared resource. They also completed surveys assessing nature connectedness, self-transcendence, and materialism.
Results from Study 4 showed that participants in the nature contact condition perceived a higher level of nature contact after the task compared to before. They also demonstrated a stronger connection to nature, greater self-transcendence, lower materialism, and greater prosocial behavior in the public goods game compared to those in the urban contact condition.
Interestingly, there was no significant difference between the nature contact and free contact conditions, suggesting that any form of increased engagement with the environment could enhance prosocial behaviors. Mediation analyses indicated that self-transcendence, nature connection, and reduced materialism mediated the relationship between nature contact and prosocial behaviors, although the effects were more consistent for self-transcendence.
“Across five studies with diverse designs and measures of manipulation and prosociality, current research has consistently found a facilitative effect of nature contact on prosociality,” the researchers conclude. “Self-transcendence was found to be the key and reliable mediator of this effect, while the mediating roles of nature connection and materialism were partially confirmed. The findings of this research are valuable for deepening the conceptual understanding of the nature-human behavior relationship.”
The study, “Contact with nature promotes prosociality: The mediating roles of self-transcendence, connectedness with nature, and materialism,” was authored by Dongmei Mei, Ding Yang, Tong Li, Xin Zhang, Kang Rao, and Liman Man Wai Li.
