Chinese scientists from Guizhou Normal University found that contact with nature not only benefits physical and mental health, but also promotes prosocial behavior (the desire to help others). The research was published in the scientific journal broadcasting Journal of Environmental Psychology (JEP).
The team conducted four experiments examining the relationship between country vacations and prosocial tendencies. The first pair of tests involved around 700 people who filled out questionnaires to assess the impact of being in a natural environment and the tendency to act for the benefit of others.
The results revealed significant positive correlations between contact with nature, connectedness to nature, and prosocial behavior. Contact with the natural environment appeared to help people think less about material things, which in turn increased concern for the well-being of others.
Studies 3 and 4 used experimental designs to causally test the effects of nature exposure on prosocial behavior.
In one of them, 2,194 participants were divided into three groups; one was shown a six-minute video about nature, the second was shown a video about the city, and the third served as a control group, with the people in the group being shown a blank screen.
After that, the volunteers completed tasks measuring prosocial behavior. The study results showed that participants who watched nature videos were more willing to donate to charity than those who watched city or control videos.
In another project, a group of 201 people were tasked with photographing natural and urban landscapes. They then filled out questionnaires to assess their level of contact with nature. The results showed that exposure to nature increased prosocial behavior.
Earlier scientists I learnedOutdoor recreation restores children’s cognitive abilities.