Contact with nature has this heartening effect on our psychological disposition, scientists find

A recent study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology suggests that spending time in nature can increase how much we see others as fully human. This effect is largely due to a sense of self-transcendence—a feeling of connection to something larger than oneself—that nature evokes. The researchers also found that this enhanced perception of humanness in others encourages prosocial behaviors, such as helping and cooperating with others.

The perception of humanness in others is a fundamental aspect of social interactions. It influences how we treat those around us—whether we empathize with them, help them, or even avoid causing them harm. However, there are many factors that can diminish this perception, leading to what psychologists call “dehumanization.” Dehumanization has been linked to a range of negative outcomes, including increased aggression and decreased empathy.

While much research has explored the causes of dehumanization, less attention has been given to understanding how to increase perceptions of humanness in others. Given the importance of maintaining these perceptions for healthy social interactions, the researchers wanted to investigate whether a commonly accessible experience—contact with nature—could enhance how human we perceive others to be.

“Since individuals cannot directly perceive others’ mental states, it is easy to overlook their humanity,” said study authors Xijing Wang, an assistant professor at City University of Hong Kong, and Lei Cheng, a lecturer at Fujian Normal University. “However, disregarding others’ humanity can result in negative interpersonal consequences, such as reduced prosocial behavior. Therefore, we aimed to identify strategies that could enhance our perception of others’ humanity. Our study suggests that getting in touch with nature—a novel and easily implementable approach—can effectively achieve this goal.”

To explore this question, the researchers conducted a series of six studies, each designed to assess the impact of nature on perceptions of humanness in various contexts. The participants in these studies were from different cultural backgrounds, including China, the United States, and the United Kingdom, which helped to ensure that the findings were not limited to a specific cultural or geographic context.

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The first study aimed to establish a correlation between nature contact and increased humanness perception. The researchers recruited 712 college students from several universities in China. Participants were divided into two groups based on their access to natural elements in their immediate living environment. One group had regular access to nature (such as plants, trees, and parks), while the other group did not have such access.

To assess (de)humanization, the participants were asked to answer four questions designed to measure how much they generally attributed humanness to others in society. The questions included statements like “I feel that other people are superficial, like they have no depth” and “I feel that other people are mechanical and cold.” The researchers controlled for variables such as social dominance orientation, the importance attached to material possessions, and perceived social rank.

The findings showed that participants who had regular contact with nature attributed higher levels of humanness to others compared to those who lacked such contact. This initial study provided correlational evidence supporting the hypothesis that nature contact is positively associated with the perception of humanness in others.

To establish a causal relationship between nature contact and humanness perception, the researchers conducted a controlled experiment in Study 2. They recruited 150 college students from a Chinese university and randomly assigned them to one of two conditions. In the nature condition, participants were placed in a room decorated with indoor plants, while in the control condition, participants were placed in a room without any natural elements. After spending five minutes in their respective environments, participants were asked to rate the humanness of others using a similar questionnaire as in Study 1.

The results indicated that participants in the nature condition attributed higher levels of humanness to others than those in the control condition. This finding provided experimental evidence that direct exposure to natural elements can causally increase the perception of humanness in others.

Study 3 aimed to enhance the ecological validity of the findings by situating participants in real-world environments. The researchers recruited 169 college students from a Chinese university and randomly assigned them to either a nature condition or a control condition. In the nature condition, participants were taken to a park near the campus, while in the control condition, they were taken to a busy street outside the campus. After spending five minutes observing their surroundings, participants completed the same questionnaire on humanness attribution.

As predicted, participants who spent time in the park (nature condition) reported higher levels of humanness attribution compared to those who spent time on the street (control condition). This study reinforced the causal relationship between nature contact and humanness perception in a real-world setting.

The fourth study extended the investigation to intergroup contexts and included participants from a different cultural background. The researchers recruited 194 Caucasian American participants through an online platform and randomly assigned them to either a nature condition or a control condition. In the nature condition, participants viewed images of natural landscapes and were asked to immerse themselves in the depicted scenarios. In the control condition, participants viewed images of abstract shapes. Afterward, participants were asked to rate the humanness of Chinese people.

The findings revealed that participants in the nature condition attributed higher levels of humanness to Chinese people than those in the control condition. This study demonstrated that nature contact can reduce intergroup biases and enhance the perception of humanness in outgroup members.

Study 5 sought to explore the underlying mechanism of the effect observed in the previous studies, particularly the role of self-transcendence. The researchers recruited 198 British residents and randomly assigned them to either a nature condition or a control condition. Participants in the nature condition were asked to imagine themselves in natural environments by viewing images of nature, while those in the control condition imagined winning a lottery prize. After the imagination task, participants completed measures of self-transcendence and humanness attribution. The researchers also assessed participants’ moods to rule out the possibility that the effect was driven solely by positive emotions.

The results showed that participants in the nature condition reported higher levels of self-transcendence and humanness attribution compared to those in the control condition. Mediation analysis revealed that self-transcendence partially accounted for the effect of nature contact on humanness perception, suggesting that the feeling of connection to something larger than oneself plays a significant role in enhancing the perception of humanness in others.

The final study aimed to replicate the findings of Study 5 in an intergroup context and to examine whether the increased perception of humanness due to nature contact could also lead to prosocial behaviors. The researchers recruited 199 Mainland Chinese participants and randomly assigned them to either a nature condition or a control condition. Similar to Study 4, participants in the nature condition imagined themselves in natural environments, while those in the control condition imagined shopping in a supermarket. Participants then completed measures of self-transcendence, humanness attribution toward Hong Kong residents, and their intention to help Hong Kong residents, which was assessed by their support for a government policy to provide aid to Hong Kong.

The results showed that participants in the nature condition reported higher levels of self-transcendence, humanness attribution toward Hong Kong residents, and intention to help them compared to those in the control condition. Mediation analysis confirmed that self-transcendence and humanness attribution mediated the effect of nature contact on prosocial behavior.

“Contact with nature not only helps to relax our minds but also fosters a sense of unity with others, thereby enhancing our perception of their humanity. This heightened perception, in turn, promotes positive social interactions, such as prosocial behavior,” the researchers told PsyPost.

The study, “Nature contact increases perceived humanness in others,” was authored by Lei Cheng, Xijing Wang, Jiaxin Shi, and Fei Teng.