How much do children love nature? Validation of the biophilia interview and a revised connectedness to nature index among preschool children

Abstract

The basis of the construct of connectedness to nature is an individual’s emotional and cognitive connection to nature, which requires the development of sensitivity to nature and the environment for pro-ecological behaviors such as conservation, recycling, and preservation of natural areas. According to Chang and Monroe (2012), the Connectedness to Nature Index consists of four components: empathy, pleasure, responsibility, and a sense of oneness with nature. For Perkins (2010), it is love and care for the environment, which includes a cognitive component, reading, information, and exploration of nature, and especially ecological altruism. In their research, the authors found high correlations between the Connectedness to Nature Index, family values, previous experiences in nature, and the presence of a natural environment near the family home. The importance of children’s interest and participation in nature activities was particularly highlighted as a variable contributing to the development of connectedness to nature. Numerous studies have indicated that urban lifestyles and media technologies are factors that most greatly contribute to the observed lack of empathy and sensitivity toward nature, i.e., the “decline” in children’s sense of connectedness to nature (Richardson, Hallam & Lumber, 2015: 8).