Mindful learning can promote connectedness to nature: Implicit and explicit evidence.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Growing environmental issues necessitate greater human connection to nature.
• Individual connectedness to nature is crucial for addressing environmental challenges.
• Mindful learning is proposed as a novel intervention to foster this connection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effectiveness of mindful learning in promoting connectedness to nature.
• To assess the impact of mindful learning on both implicit and explicit measures of nature connectedness.

Main Methods:

• 134 students participated in an experiment.
• Baseline Connectedness to Nature Scale (CNS) measurements were taken.
• Participants were randomly assigned to either a mindful or mindless learning condition.
• Post-experiment assessments included the Implicit Association Test (IAT) and the Inclusion of Nature in the Self (INS) Scale.

Main Results:

• The mindful learning group demonstrated superior performance on the Implicit Association Test.
• Participants in the mindful learning condition scored higher on the Inclusion of Nature in the Self Scale.
• Mindful learning positively influenced both implicit and explicit aspects of nature connectedness.

Conclusions:

• Mindful learning serves as an effective strategy for enhancing individuals' connection to the natural world.
• The findings provide empirical support for the role of mindful learning in fostering environmental stewardship.
• Interventions promoting mindful learning could be valuable in environmental education and conservation efforts.