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Does Short-Term Exposure to Nature Enhance Prosocial Outcomes? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Experimental Evidence

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  • Zhuojun Yao

    (Institute of Higher Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China)

  • Hanyao Liu

    (Department of Military Oceanography and Hydrography & Cartography, Dalian Naval Academy, Dalian 116018, China)

Abstract

Contact with nature is increasingly recognized as a potential way to enhance prosocial outcomes, yet causal evidence and boundary conditions remain unclear. This meta-analysis synthesized 29 independent experiments (derived from the 19 included reports; N = 4520) examining the effects of short-term nature exposure on prosocial outcomes. Overall, short-term nature exposure produced a significant small-to-medium effect (Hedges’ g = 0.46), robust across sensitivity analyses. Heterogeneity was low ( I 2 = 16.45%), and pre-specified moderator analyses, including exposure modality (media-based, unstructured direct, structured direct), outcome measurement type (behavioral tasks, observed behavior, self-report), and sample characteristics, were largely non-significant, suggesting that the observed effect may generalize across these methodological and demographic factors. These findings provide experimental evidence that short-term nature exposure can reliably enhance prosocial outcomes, with implications for interventions promoting social cohesion in increasingly urbanized societies.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhuojun Yao & Hanyao Liu, 2026. "Does Short-Term Exposure to Nature Enhance Prosocial Outcomes? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Experimental Evidence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-24, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:18:y:2026:i:10:p:4637-:d:1937058
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