Abstract
Most recent epidemics have originated in complex human-nature interactions and yet, our knowledge is very limited regarding the psychological aspects of human-nature relationships that underlie individual human responses in times of pandemic crises. We propose that the concept of connectedness with nature and associated individual difference measures offer a relevant and useful lens to inform us about how humans think, feel and behave in such critical times. Our two-wave study, conducted with 486 United States residents at the end of March 2020 (wave 1) and 533 United States residents at the beginning of May 2020 (wave 2), focuses on the 2020 coronavirus situation. It maps individual responses to the current pandemic in terms of mental representations, behavioral tendencies and perceived impact, and explores the relationships of these constructs to individual levels of connectedness with nature. As this research employs an exploratory methodology, our results provide an account of potential relationships rather than their validation and thus represent an encouraging steppingstone for research on human behavior in the time of a global pandemic. We identify a series of research propositions and questions for systematic future inquiry.
Highlights
As of March 2020, coronavirus is the new reality for almost every human being living on planet Earth (Garfin et al, 2020; Perlman, 2020; Sohrabi et al, 2020)
We provide a detailed overview of the potential relationships between individual psychological responses to a pandemic and nature connectedness grouped around three themes: individual representations about the pandemic, behavioral tendencies, and perceived impact of the pandemic
Our exploratory findings suggest that connectedness with nature, as an important individual identity trait, may consistently shape individual reactions to, and in turn be influenced by, global pandemic crises, both in the initial stages of the latter and over time
Summary
As of March 2020, coronavirus is the new reality for almost every human being living on planet Earth (Garfin et al, 2020; Perlman, 2020; Sohrabi et al, 2020). We would like to contribute to these efforts and fast track our understanding of the factors pertinent to human perceptions, attitudes and actions during pandemics. Viewing the current pandemic on a larger scale, it most likely has its origins in nature (wild animals) and the societal attempt to contain it constitutes, at its core, an issue of global human-nature interaction (Zhou et al, 2020). The first aim of the present research is to utilize the lens of the human-nature relationship to investigate individual psychological responses to a pandemic. We focus on mapping how the connection between people and their natural environment relates to their: (1) individual representations about the coronavirus pandemic; (2) relevant behaviors during the pandemic; and (3) perceptions of impact of the pandemic on their own lives and other people. The present study contributes to the current body of research on human
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