Becoming nature: effects of embodying a tree in immersive virtual reality on nature relatedness.

The potential of using immersive virtual reality (iVR) technologies to enhance nature relatedness by embodying non-human beings, such as plants or animals, is only sparsely researched. To contribute to this emerging research field we conducted an experimental study (N = 28) that compared the effects of the viewing condition (iVR or desktop) while embodying a tree on nature relatedness, perspective-taking and, as a control, on perceived immersion. A mixed-method approach employing quantitative and qualitative questions was used. Our results showed that irrespective of condition allocation, the more immersed participants felt in their experience, the greater they reported increased levels of nature relatedness (r = 0.42, p < .05). While our quantitative data did yield a difference in immersion levels between the viewing condition (iVR vs. video, t(26) = 2.05, p = .05, d = .50) that did not translate into a stronger experimental effect of the iVR condition on nature relatedness (FInteraction(1,26) < 1). Regarding perspective taking, no significant differences between both groups emerged in the number of users who self-reported having fully taken on the perspective of the tree, (χ2(1) = 2.33, p = .127). However, only participants from the iVR group described their experience from a first-person perspective, suggesting a higher level of identification with the tree. This matches the observation that only those participants also reported self-reflective processes of their own role as a human being towards nature. Our results support previous research suggesting that experiencing nature via immersive VR in itself does not seem to suffice for creating an effect on nature relatedness. However, we observed that a higher perceived level of immersion for participants experiencing the embodiment of a tree in the iVR condition provoked reflective processes on one's own role towards nature more strongly. We discuss the role of immersion and further factors to explain these differences and suggest steps for future research settings to help understand the beneficial potential of using immersive VR for nature relatedness.

Healthy eating and sustainable nutrition through mindfulness? Mixed method results of a controlled intervention study.

Mindless eating is at the core of many ecological and social problems associated with modern nutritional behavior. Mindfulness training has been proven to be an efficient means for improving healthy nutrition. First, it enables reconnection with internal hunger and satiety cues, instead of external cues. Second, it supports making deliberate choices against unconscious eating patterns. It is less clear whether training in mindfulness can be similarly effective for sustainable nutritional habits, defined here as socially and ecologically responsible consumption behaviors over the whole consumption cycle. A controlled mixed method intervention study employed an adapted mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) to investigate such potential effects in a healthy, adult student population (n = 76/n = 11). Results from both qualitative and quantitative data indicate that the MBI exerts strong effects on mindful eating, whereas effects on sustainable nutritional behaviors are limited and only appear in the qualitative data as content concerning pre-behavioral stages of consumption, such as attitudes and intentions. First follow-up results suggest a slower process for changing nutritional behaviors toward more sustainable food choices. Based on the integrated mixed method results, we conclude that MBIs are an effective way to change unhealthy, mindless eating habits. To obtain stronger effects on sustainable nutritional behaviors, we suggest MBIs with a specific focus on sustainable nutritional behaviors and openly advertising the aim of the intervention in order to create a common intention in target groups who are looking for ways to put their altruistic intentions into practice, e.g. in sustainable consumption education programs.

Environment-Specific vs. General Knowledge and Their Role in Pro-environmental Behavior.

Environmental knowledge has been established as a behavior-distal, but necessary antecedent of pro-environmental behavior. The magnitude of its effect is difficult to estimate due to methodological deficits and variability of measures proposed in the literature. This paper addresses these methodological issues with an updated, comprehensive and objective test of environmental knowledge spanning a broad variety of current environment related topics. In a multivariate study (n = 214), latent data modeling was employed to explore the internal factor structure of environmental knowledge, its relationship with general knowledge and explanatory power on pro-environmental behavior. We tested competing factor models and uncovered a general factor of environmental knowledge. The main novel finding of the study concerns its relationship with general knowledge. Employing an established test of general knowledge to measure crystallized intelligence revealed a near perfect relationship between environmental and general knowledge. This general knowledge (including the environmental domain) accounted for 7% of the variance in environmentally significant behavior. Age, additionally to acquired education, emerged as a common predictor for both general knowledge and environmentally significant behavior. We discuss the consequences of the strong relation between general and environmental knowledge and provide a possible explanation for the positive age-environmental conservation relationship reported in the literature.

Comportamiento Proambiental: actitudes y valores en una muestra poblacional colombiana / Pro-Environmental Behavior: Attitudes and Values ​​in a Colombian Population Sample

Las ciencias sociales y, en particular, la psicología ambiental, tienen elementos clave para la comprensión y modificación de comportamientos que ayuden a la protección medioambiental. Este estudio evaluó la relación entre las actitudes ambientales, las diferentes orientaciones de valores y el comportamiento proambiental, aportando evidencia al modelo Jerárquico para los comportamientos ecológicos (Stern, 2000). Con instrumentos construidos y adaptados al contexto colombiano y con una muestra de estudiantes universitarios, se encontró mediante análisis lineales, que las actitudes ambientales y los valores biosféricos resultan predictores de la conducta ambiental y que estas variables se estructuran, aún de manera marginal, como lo señala el modelo jerárquico. Se discuten las diferentes relaciones observadas y los desafíos metodológicos y teóricos que se derivan de uno de los estudios pioneros en el área en contextos latinoamericanos

The social sciences and, in particular, environmental psychology, have key elements for the understanding and modification of behaviors that help environmental protection. This study evaluated the relationship between environmental attitudes, different value orientations and pro-environmental behavior, providing evidence to the hierarchical model for ecological behaviors (Stern, 2000). With instruments constructed and adapted to the Colombian context and with a sample of university students, it was found through linear analyzes, that environmental attitudes and biospheric values are predictors of environmental behavior and that these variables are structured, even marginally, as indicates the hierarchical model. The different relationships observed and the methodological and theoretical challenges that derive from one of the pioneering studies in the area in Latin American contexts are discussed