The effect of empathy with nature and humans on conservation behaviour

IF 7 1区心理学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Journal of Environmental Psychology Pub Date : 2025-07-26 DOI:10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102710

Christopher M. Raymond , Max Eriksson , Silviya Korpilo , Jonathan Carruthers-Jones

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Fostering positive relationships between humans and nature is critical to conservation efforts globally, yet little research has considered the effects of empathy with nature and empathy with humans on conservation behaviour. This study examined the relationships between empathy with nature and humans on conservation behaviour. In 2024, 329 residents of Turku, Finland, over the age of 15 completed a survey containing validated measures of empathy with nature, cognitive and affective empathy and conservation behaviour in the public and private spheres. We found that empathy with nature was consistently a strong predictor of conservation behaviour and behavioural intention in the public sphere. Cognitive empathy was a positive predictor of conservation behaviour intention in the private sphere, while affective empathy had a weak negative effect on conservation behaviour in the public sphere. These different predictive capacities highlight the importance of moving from general measures of empathy with humans to measures including cognitive and affective components in conservation behaviour research and practice.

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对自然和人类的同理心对保护行为的影响

培养人与自然之间的积极关系对全球保护工作至关重要，但很少有研究考虑到对自然和对人类的同情对保护行为的影响。这项研究考察了对自然的同情和人类对保护行为的关系。2024年，芬兰图尔库的329名15岁以上的居民完成了一项调查，其中包括对自然的同情、认知和情感同情以及公共和私人领域的保护行为的有效测量。我们发现，对自然的同理心始终是公共领域保护行为和行为意图的一个强有力的预测指标。认知共情对私人领域的保护行为意愿有正向影响，而情感共情对公共领域的保护行为有微弱的负向影响。这些不同的预测能力强调了在保护行为研究和实践中，从对人类共情的一般测量转向包括认知和情感成分的测量的重要性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Environmental Psychology Multiple-

CiteScore

10.60

自引率

8.70%

发文量

140

审稿时长

62 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Environmental Psychology is the premier journal in the field, serving individuals in a wide range of disciplines who have an interest in the scientific study of the transactions and interrelationships between people and their surroundings (including built, social, natural and virtual environments, the use and abuse of nature and natural resources, and sustainability-related behavior). The journal publishes internationally contributed empirical studies and reviews of research on these topics that advance new insights. As an important forum for the field, the journal publishes some of the most influential papers in the discipline that reflect the scientific development of environmental psychology. Contributions on theoretical, methodological, and practical aspects of all human-environment interactions are welcome, along with innovative or interdisciplinary approaches that have a psychological emphasis. Research areas include: •Psychological and behavioral aspects of people and nature •Cognitive mapping, spatial cognition and wayfinding •Ecological consequences of human actions •Theories of place, place attachment, and place identity •Environmental risks and hazards: perception, behavior, and management •Perception and evaluation of buildings and natural landscapes •Effects of physical and natural settings on human cognition and health •Theories of proenvironmental behavior, norms, attitudes, and personality •Psychology of sustainability and climate change •Psychological aspects of resource management and crises •Social use of space: crowding, privacy, territoriality, personal space •Design of, and experiences related to, the physical aspects of workplaces, schools, residences, public buildings and public space