Kathryn J. H. Williams

Nature connection plays an important role in the relationship between nature contact and well‐being, but explanations of how this occurs are sometimes ambiguous while evidence is conflicting. Philosophical tensions in the way we study nature connection make it difficult to clarify these matters: while the idea of nature connection is grounded in an understanding that people are part of nature, conceptual, and empirical strategies used to study it often assume people and environment are separate. We aim to support a more careful conceptualisation of the relationship between nature and well‐being, with a focus on the concept of nature connection. We ground our analysis in an account of scientific approaches (scientific worldviews) in the study of human–nature relationships. Some psychological research is more mechanistic in approach, treating people and the environment as distinct entities that change through interactions best understood through detached observation. Other research is more holistic or relational, considering humans and nature as mutually defining facets of events or systems, with knowledge assumed to be situated relative to the observer. We argue that a spectrum of scientific approaches is needed to understand human–nature relationships. We demonstrate the relational assumptions of nature connection and assess how this aligns with its application in studies of nature and well‐being, including the way nature connection is defined and observed. We examine 10 psychological theories of how nature contact influences well‐being, noting that such theories implicitly or explicitly shape how nature connection can be defined and understood to operate. In both analyses, we highlight theoretical aspects that are aligned with more mechanistic or more relational approaches. We argue researchers need to be alert to scientific worldviews associated with the concept of nature connection, and to define, observe, and theorise nature, nature connection, and well‐being in ways that explicitly address the researcher's purpose and assumptions. To support clarity and alignment in theorisation, we synthesise a list of mechanistic and relational conceptual approaches to studying nature and well‐being, including suggestions regarding definitions, unit of analysis, approach to dynamics and change, and the role of the researcher. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Natural grasslands are threatened globally. In south-eastern Australia, remnants of critically endangered natural grasslands are increasingly being isolated in urban areas. Urbanisation has led to reduced fire frequency and woody plant encroachment in some patches. Grasslands are currently being managed under the assumption that desirable management actions to address these threats (prescribed burning and removing woody vegetation) (1) lead to improved conservation outcomes and (2) are restricted by negative public attitudes. In this study, we tested these two assumptions in the context of native grassland conservation reserves in Melbourne, Australia. Firstly, we investigated differences in species and functional trait composition between patches that had been recently burnt, patches that were unburnt and patches subject to woody vegetation encroachment. We found that the functional traits of species converged in areas subject to woody plant encroachment and areas frequently disturbed by fire. Burning promoted native species, and patches of woody plants supressed the dominant grass, providing a wider range of habitat conditions. Secondly, we surveyed 477 residents living adjacent to these grassland conservation reserves to measure values, beliefs and attitudes and the acceptance of prescribed burning and removing woody vegetation. We found conflict in people’s attitudes to grasslands, with both strongly positive and strongly negative attitudes expressed. The majority of residents found prescribed burning an acceptable management practice (contrary to expectations) and removing trees and shrubs from grasslands to be unacceptable. Both cognitive factors (values and beliefs) and landscape features were important in influencing these opinions. This research provides some guidance for managing urban grassland reserves as a social–ecological system, showing that ecological management, community education and engagement and landscape design features can be integrated to influence social and ecological outcomes.

Wildfire management agencies increasingly seek to understand what the public values and expects to be protected from wildfire and its management. Recent conceptual development demonstrates the utility of considering values at three levels of abstraction: localised valued entities such as people, places and objects; valued attributes of communities and landscapes; and core values, or ideals that guide in life. We used a large-scale survey (n = 1105) in Victoria, Australia, to test and extend this framework. The results confirm the usefulness of the conceptual framework and demonstrate that values that members of the public consider at risk of wildfire are much more diverse than those typically considered in wildfire risk management. Relationships between values at different levels of abstraction are meaningful and reveal the multiple ways that objects, places and people become valued. The research suggests ways to understand and practically incorporate values of the public in wildfire management.

Rawluk, A., R. M. Ford, and K. J. H. Williams. 2018. Value-based scenario planning: exploring multifaceted values in natural disaster planning and management. Ecology and Society 23(4):2. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-10447-230402

The role of nature is rarely considered in research on work breaks. We drew on conservation of resources and attention restoration theories to examine how green micro-breaks, brief breaks spent viewing nature, may help employees recover resources to improve mood and performance. We examined two theoretically linked intervening mechanisms: attention restoration and regulatory effort, to explain how green micro- breaks operate. In Study 1, participants completed a computerized attention task before and after a brief micro-break. During the micro-break they saw an image of a “green” city view or a concrete “control” city view. The green micro-break acted indirectly on tension through restoring attention and lowering regulatory effort, thus highlighting cognitive resource recovery. In Study 2, participants completed a work task before and after a brief micro-break. During the micro- break they saw real window views that replicated the images in the previous study. Results confirmed the indirect tension model and established an indirect performance model. Together these studies indicate that the effect of a green micro-break on tension and performance was transmitted through restoration and reduced regulatory effort. The results make several contributions by integrating theory from environmental psychology with research on conservation of resources and work breaks to explain how resources can be recovered during green micro-breaks. We suggest that this indicates that green micro-breaks can help employees top-up their resources during the workday, providing booster breaks for the brain.