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Connectedness to Nature and Pro-Environmental Behaviour from Early Adolescence to Adulthood: A Comparison of Urban and Rural Canada

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  • Daniel J. Anderson

    (Developmental Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada)

  • Tobias Krettenauer

    (Developmental Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada)

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated that emotional connectedness to nature is among the strongest predictors of pro-environmental behaviour. This study investigated the influence of age, gender and living context on emotional connectedness to nature and pro-environmental behaviour in a Canadian sample. Study participants completed an environmental survey, which assessed demographic data as well as levels of emotional connectedness to nature and pro-environmental behaviour. The study contained 1251 participants equally divided across gender, sampled from four different age groups in rural versus urban living contexts throughout Canada. Study results revealed that emotional connectedness to nature was the strongest predictor of pro-environmental behaviour in comparison to the other factors. It was found that adults displayed significantly higher levels of emotional connectedness to nature and pro-environmental behaviour in comparison to adolescents, and that females displayed higher levels of both emotional connectedness to nature and pro-environmental behaviour in comparison to males. Moreover, urban and rural participants significantly differed in their levels of pro-environmental behaviour, but not in their levels of emotional connectedness to nature.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel J. Anderson & Tobias Krettenauer, 2021. "Connectedness to Nature and Pro-Environmental Behaviour from Early Adolescence to Adulthood: A Comparison of Urban and Rural Canada," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-17, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:7:p:3655-:d:524036
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Babutsidze, Zakaria & Chai, Andreas, 2018. "Look at me Saving the Planet! The Imitation of Visible Green Behavior and its Impact on the Climate Value-Action Gap," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 290-303.
    2. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/61ih2qtadc8g1894enmudd2f09 is not listed on IDEAS
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    Cited by:

    1. Andersson, Ylva & Timmons, Shane & Lunn, Pete, 2022. "Youth knowledge and perceptions of climate mitigation," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS153, June.
    2. Wang Hongxin & Mohammed Arshad Khan & Jian Zhenqiang & Laura-Mariana Cismaș & Mohammad Athar Ali & Usama Saleem & Lucia Negruț, 2022. "Unleashing the Role of CSR and Employees’ Pro-Environmental Behavior for Organizational Success: The Role of Connectedness to Nature," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-22, March.
    3. Agnieszka Wojewódzka-Wiewiórska & Gintarė Vaznonienė & Bernardas Vaznonis, 2022. "Who Cares for Nature in Rural Areas? Exploration of Relationships between People’s Socio-Economic Characteristics and the Perception of Nature as a Value in Poland and Lithuania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-23, August.
    4. Yiping Yang & Le Sun & Buxin Han & Pingping Liu, 2023. "The Trajectory of Anthropomorphism and Pro-Environmental Behavior: A Serial Mediation Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-19, January.
    5. Leszek S. Dąbrowski & Stefania Środa-Murawska & Paweł Smoliński & Jadwiga Biegańska, 2022. "Rural–Urban Divide: Generation Z and Pro-Environmental Behaviour," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-19, December.
    6. Ghulam Jilani & Guangqin Yang & Irfan Siddique, 2021. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Pro-Environmental Behavior of the Individuals from the Perspective of Protection Motivation Theory," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-20, December.
    7. Phillip T. Bengel & Carina Peter, 2022. "Technology in Nature—mDGBL as a Successful Approach to Promote Complex Contents?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, December.

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