Connectedness to Nature in Early Adolescence

Abstract

Connectedness to nature is an emotional connection we feel with the natural world. Little is known about how early adolescents understand and explain this phenomenon. Through a grounded theory approach with 12 early adolescents (M=11.8 years, 50% female) in the UK and Ireland, we examined participant experiences, opinions, and attitudes about nature, which formed participants’ beliefs on how to connect with the environment. This research proposes a model representing components of connection to nature, identifying three actions, two emotional processes, and three states. This study highlights the need for new measurements of connectedness to nature and development of interventions for early adolescents.