The Biophilia Reactivity Hypothesis: biophilia as a temperament trait, or more precisely, a domain specific attraction to biodiversity

Abstract

E.O. Wilson proposed the concept of biophilia as “the innately emotional affiliation of human beings with other living organisms.” While the idea has gained traction in diverse fields, including architecture and horticulture, the few empirical tests of the biophilia hypothesis are either inconclusive or fail to provide support. This paper reviews fundamental flaws in Wilson's biophilia hypothesis and proposes “the Biophilia Reactivity Hypothesis”: biophilia as a temperament trait, a theory that offers a falsifiable version of Wilson’s original concept.