Relationships between people and nature: Nature connectedness and relational environmental values

Abstract

There is growing recognition that our relationship with nature needs repairing. Two operationalizations of this construct within psychology are nature connectedness and relational environmental values. This review covers recent advances on both constructs. It outlines the growing evidence that both operationalizations are strong predictors of pro-environmental outcomes. It goes on to review what is known about the antecedents of the human–nature relationship and outlines three emerging principles about nature connectedness, in particular: (1) it largely operates like a true relationship, (2) it is a form of self-transcendence, and (3) it involves the self. Additionally, the review highlights recent paradigmatic shifts in the study of the human–nature relationship, shifting from studying associations at the individual level to instead focus on group-level processes.