Understanding connection to nature in Turkish middle school children: Personal factors and Nature's restorative effect

Abstract

A connection to nature can be healing and restorative for children, especially when they are coping with psychological symptoms. Better understanding the essence of this connection and investigating the associated variables can, therefore, prove useful. This research consisted of three studies measuring the connection to nature among youth in Turkey's unique, non-Western context. In Study-1 (n = 214), the 14-item Connection to Nature Index (CNI) was tested with confirmatory factor analysis. The results showed that the CNI was a valid and reliable instrument in the Turkish sample. Study-2 (n = 375) examined personal factors predicting children's connection to nature. Regression analysis showed that gender was a significant predictor of CNI. We also found that connection to nature increased as screen time decreased and the frequency of contact with nature increased. In Study 3 (n = 404), we found that hope and satisfaction with life acted as serial and complete mediators between CNI and psychological symptoms. Unlike the results of previous studies conducted in the West, this study highlights for the first time the importance of children's connection with the natural world in Turkey, an Eastern society.