A study conducted in Austria found that individuals who were exposed to blue spaces (such as coasts, rivers, and lakes) during childhood tend to feel more connected to nature as adults. This stronger connection to nature, in turn, is linked to more frequent visits to both blue and green spaces (such as parks, forests, and meadows) in adulthood, and a greater likelihood of engaging in pro-environmental behaviors. The research was published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.
As human settlements expand and industrial development increases, efforts to preserve natural environments become increasingly important. On an individual level, pro-environmental behaviors can significantly mitigate the negative impacts of human activity on nature. These behaviors include actions such as recycling, avoiding single-use plastics, properly disposing of waste in natural environments, and reducing energy consumption. All of these actions aim to protect ecosystems, reduce pollution, and conserve natural landscapes.
The study, led by Patricia Stehl and her colleagues, sought to investigate what factors influence whether people engage in these pro-environmental behaviors. The researchers proposed that childhood exposure to blue spaces might foster a deeper emotional connection to nature, which could then encourage environmentally responsible behaviors in adulthood.
To explore this, the researchers gathered data from 2,370 Austrian adults, representing a cross-section of the population in terms of age, gender, and region. Participants ranged in age from 18 to 89, and half of them were women. The study was conducted using an online survey provided by the polling company YouGov.
Participants were asked to report on various aspects of their environmental behavior. This included self-reported pro-environmental actions (based on 12 yes-or-no items), memories of childhood blue space exposure, the frequency of recent visits to blue and green spaces, and their feelings of connectedness with nature, which were measured using the Inclusion of Nature in Self Scale.
The results showed that participants who recalled frequent visits to blue spaces during childhood also reported stronger feelings of connectedness with nature and more frequent visits to natural environments in adulthood. These feelings of nature connectedness, in turn, were associated with a greater likelihood of engaging in pro-environmental behaviors.
The researchers tested a statistical model that proposed a causal relationship: childhood exposure to blue spaces strengthens nature connectedness in adulthood, which then leads to more visits to natural landscapes, ultimately resulting in more pro-environmental behaviors. The results supported this model, indicating that the pathway from childhood exposure to blue spaces to adult environmentalism is possible.
However, the researchers noted that the direct relationship between childhood blue space exposure and adult pro-environmental behavior was weak. This suggests that while childhood experiences with nature can influence environmental behaviors later in life, the effect is relatively small.
The study also uncovered some demographic differences. Women reported more pro-environmental behaviors than men, although men reported more frequent visits to green spaces. Unemployed individuals exhibited stronger pro-environmental behaviors than employed participants, though employed and retired participants reported stronger feelings of nature connectedness. Participants from higher-income households spent more time in nature compared to those from lower-income households.
“Growing detachment from the natural world may hinder the development of nature connectedness and PEBs [pro-environmental behavior]. We provide evidence for a positive relationship between (recalled) childhood blue space exposure and adult PEBs, which may be partly explained by adult nature connectedness and recent nature visits. These relationships were found among a large heterogenous sample in landlocked Austria, highlighting the importance of inland blue spaces, compared to the more frequently studied coastal ones,” study authors concluded.
The study sheds light on the links between recalled childhood visits to blue spaces and pro-environmental behaviors in adulthood. However, the associations reported were very weak and only detectable due to the large sample size.
The paper, “From childhood blue space exposure to adult environmentalism: The role of nature connectedness and nature contact,” was authored by Patricia Stehl, Mathew P. White, Valeria Vitale, Sabine Pahl, Lewis R. Elliott, Leonie Fian, and Matilda van den Bosch.