Associations between nature connectedness, emotion regulation, environmental sensitivity, and stress relief : a moderated mediation model

Abstract

Objective: Nature connectedness has been found to be significantly associated with emotion regulation and perceived stress. The goal of the study was to investigate whether adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation would mediate the association between nature connectedness and perceived stress, and whether the mediation paths would be moderated by individual differences in environmental sensitivity. Method: Ninety-five college students aged between 18 and 29 years old took part in this research to complete the questionnaire measures of nature connectedness, cognitive emotion regulation, negative reactivity, environmental sensitivity, perceived stress, depression and anxiety symptoms. Results: After controlling the influence of negative reactivity as a temperamental trait, the mediation models showed that nature connectedness predicted the greater use of adaptive emotion regulation strategies and less use of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, which in turn predicted lower levels of perceived stress, as well as self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms. The moderated mediation models indicated that environmental sensitivity was a significant moderator in the link between maladaptive emotion regulation (but not adaptive emotion regulation) and perceived stress. However, environmental sensitivity did not significantly moderate the relationship between nature connectedness and adaptive/maladaptive emotion regulation. Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of nature connectedness by informing interventions and research of environmental psychology about the significant stress-relief effect of nature connectedness through cognitive emotion regulation, and this might be particularly effective among highly sensitive individuals, in combating the challenges and uncertainties during emerging adulthood.