The Impact of a “Three Good Things in Nature” Writing Task on Nature Connectedness, Pro-nature Conservation Behavior, Life Satisfaction, and Mindfulness in Children

Abstract

This research explores the relationships between nature connectedness, pro-nature conservation behavior, life satisfaction, and mindfulness in children aged 9–11 years and assesses the impact of a three good things in nature writing intervention. Participants were assigned to either an experimental condition, writing about three good things in nature (previously adapted from a positive psychology intervention), or a control condition, writing about any three things they noticed, over a period of 5 days. In total, 138 children provided complete pre-intervention (baseline) data. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to explore the impact of the writing task. Increases in nature connectedness, mindfulness, and life satisfaction were observed for both the nature writing and control conditions, but not for pro-conservation behavior. A significant multivariate interaction was observed between the writing condition and time, for both nature connectedness and pro-conservation behaviors. Post hoc tests showed that pro-conservation behaviors increased over time for the nature writing group. Nature connectedness was significantly higher in the nature writing group than the control at the second time point, but not at follow-up (∼2-month later). Multiple regression showed nature connectedness and environmental perceptions predicted pro-nature conservation behavior, whereas nature connectedness and mindfulness predicted life satisfaction. Data were collected during late spring/early summer, which may result in seasonal effects; in future, this could be addressed by collecting data throughout the year. This research demonstrates support for relationships between nature connectedness and both pro-conservation behavior and life satisfaction in children. This indicates that short interventions tested in adults can have an impact on nature connectedness and pro-conservation behavior in children, although the impact on nature connectedness was relatively short-lived.