The Environment as an Object Relationship: A Two-Part Study

Abstract

This two-part qualitative study posits object relationships, the internalized relationships that organize the psyche, as a template for the human relationship to ecosystems. During part one, 14 researchers completed a 5-min free-write that explored how they felt about familiar ecosystems. Results showed that personal ecosystems played similar roles to familial relationships or close friendships. Furthermore, most respondents perceived potential losses of such places as “devastating.” Based on the researchers' narratives, a second part with a larger sample size was developed. One hundred sixty-five participants were similarly surveyed about how they connected with the environment. Results of the second part corroborated part one's conclusion that people relate to the environment similarly to how they relate to people with whom they have meaningful attachment relationships. Taken together, both studies suggest that ecosystems, particularly those experienced as children, function as object relationships. When society does not signify the importance of the ecosystem object relationship, humans have diminished capacity to protect this relationship on behalf of their well-being.