Measuring adolescents' level of interest in nature: a promising psychological factor facilitating nature protection

A systematic review of nature connectedness in adolescents and young adults: Fostering environmental responsibility and sustainable practices

Investigating the connection with nature is essential for understanding how young people perceive and engage with their environment. This systematic review aimed to assess the psychological and social science literature on the connection with nature in adolescents and young adults, with the objective of exploring how this connection might impact their development. Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search across multiple databases identified 352 articles in total, with 38 meeting the inclusion criteria. Each article was evaluated for characteristics such as population type, study design, aims, and key findings. Thematic analysis revealed three key areas: pro-environmental behavior, sustainability and connection with nature, the role of technology, and gender differences in connection with nature. The findings suggest that fostering a connection with nature may be a powerful strategy for enhancing youth well-being, while also supporting social integration in diverse and evolving urban settings.

Pro-environmental behavior, personality and emotional intelligence in adolescents: a systematic review

Introduction

Human behavior significantly contributes to environmental problems, making the study of pro-environmental behavior an important task for psychology. In this context, it is crucial to understand the pro-environmental behavior of adolescents, as young people play a fundamental role in facilitating long-term changes in environmental consciousness and encouraging decision-makers to take action. However, little is currently known about the pro-environmental behavior of adolescents. Recently, there has been growing interest in examining the influence of personality traits and emotional intelligence on pro-environmental behavior.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review to enhance our understanding of adolescent pro-environmental behavior. Thus, this systematic review was designed to enhance understanding of adolescent's pro-environmental behavior by summarizing existing evidence on how it relates to personality and emotional intelligence.

Results

Our findings suggest associations between specific personality traits and dimensions of emotional intelligence with adolescent pro-environmental behavior, aligning with similar studies conducted on adults.

Discussion

While our findings offer valuable insights, further research is needed to establish causality and deepen our understanding of the interplay between multiple variables influencing pro-environmental behavior among adolescents.

Systematic review registration

[https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023387836], identifier [CRD42023387836].