Move(d) outdoors. Exploring the role of social relational emotions in human–nature relationships

Abstract

Across cultures, the relationship between humans and nature affects both the well-being of humans and the natural environment. While the concept of nature connectedness is recognized as an important topic in this regard, little is known about the psychological processes that establish and foster it. Positioned at the intersection of environmental psychology and outdoor studies, this article-based thesis adopts a critical realism perspective to explore how social relational emotions, such as kama muta (≈ being moved) and awe, are specifically significant to the process of connecting in and to nature.

Article I is a conceptual paper that provides the theoretical foundation for the empirical studies of the Articles II–VI. It proposes that the same emotions underpin social connectedness and nature connectedness, and suggests that social relational emotions are crucial to understanding how humans connect to nature. Drawing on relational models theory (RMT), the paper specifically highlights the potential role of the emotion of kama muta in the context of connecting to nature. It concludes by presenting five key implications for future research and practice within this scope.

Article II explores the social relational emotion of kama muta and its role in accompanying connecting processes in the context of nature. Follow-up interviews were conducted with German university students six weeks after they participated in an outdoor field trip, which took either place in Germany or Norway. The participants were asked to describe their experiences using photographs from the trips as prompts. The thematic analysis of the interview transcripts indicates that kama muta was elicited in the context of connecting to nature, others, the self, and human-made materials or artifacts. Moreover, the article posits that the method of photo elicitation serves as an effective catalyst in terms of helping participants to recall and articulate the emotional aspects of their experiences outdoors.

Article III investigates the outdoor practice of solo – that is, being intentionally solitary in nature. This study aims to understand how affective phenomena are part of this specific outdoor practice, and how emotions, specifically, are linked to pathways of well-being. Debriefing group interviews were conducted with adults from Norway, Germany, and New Zealand, and content-analyzed by applying the PERMA-V framework in combination with a data-driven approach. The main findings suggest that conscious experiences of emotions and connecting processes during solo are related to both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being pathways. The secondary findings indicate that personal (such as prior experiences), situational (like weather), and socio-cultural (including nationality) aspects are relevant contextual factors regarding the different well-being pathways. The article’s findings underscore the value of solo experiences for well-being across various practical fields, including outdoor education and nature-based therapy.

Article IV examines the impact of social relational emotions, specifically awe and kama muta, on nature connectedness during solo experiences. Data were collected and analyzed from 132 adults in Norway, Germany, and New Zealand, who participated in one of nine outdoor trips, using pre- and post-experience questionnaires. These questionnaires evaluated the participants' experiences of awe and kama muta alongside other affective states, their sense of nature connectedness, well-being, and environmental attitudes. Employing linear mixed models to the data analysis, the findings reveal a significant increase in nature connectedness attributable to solo experiences across groups. Moreover, the intensity of experiencing awe or kama muta during solo was found to predict the increase in nature connectedness. Secondary findings suggest a medium to strong positive correlation between the two emotions, and that the influence of personal factors, beyond gender and age, on nature connectedness merits further investigation.

This doctoral thesis introduces a novel interdisciplinary framework, both theoretical and empirical, for understanding affective phenomena within the context of human-nature relationships. It specifically investigates the function and characteristics of social relational emotions in moments of connecting in and to nature. Among these emotions, kama muta and awe are emphasized for their crucial roles in the process of connecting to nature. The thesis employs various methods and approaches to studying emotions in the context of the outdoors. By offering empirical insight into how certain emotion-related aspects of outdoor experiences are linked to well-being and, to some extent, pro-environmental attitude, this research provides valuable practical implications for educational outdoor programs and nature-based therapy.

Denne doktorgradsavhandlingen befinner seg i skjæringspunktet mellom miljøpsykologi og friluftslivsstudier, og utforsker betydningen av sosial-relasjonelle emosjoner i menneskers forhold til naturen. To sentrale sosial-relasjonelle emosjoner avhandlingen særlig fokuserer på, er kama muta (≈ beveget, rørt) og awe (≈ ærefrykt).

Artikkel I introduserer et nytt teoretisk perspektiv som argumenterer for at både sosial tiknytning og naturtilknytning er forankret i de samme emosjonene. Videre hevdes det, basert på relational models theory (RMT), at sosial-relasjonelle emosjoner spiller en nøkkelrolle i prosessene der mennesker knytter bånd til naturen. Denne konseptuelle artikkelen legger det teoretiske fundamentet for de påfølgende empiriske studiene i Artiklene II–VI.

Artikkel II utforsker emosjonen kama muta i konteksten av naturtilknytning, gjennom individuelle oppfølgingsintervjuer med tyske studenter om deres turer i naturen. Den tematiske analysen understreker kama mutas betydning i forhold til tilknytning til naturen, andre mennesker, seg selv, og menneskeskapte artefakter. Bruken av egne bilder viser seg å være en effektiv metode for å erindre og rapportere om emosjonelle utendørsopplevelser.

Artikkel III undersøker hvordan sosial-relasjonelle emosjoner integreres i helhetsopplevelser i naturen, med fokus på soloopplevelser – det å være alene i naturen. Innholdsanalyse av gruppeintervjuer med voksne fra Norge, Tyskland og New Zealand indikerer at positive emosjoner og tilknytningsprosesser under soloopplevelser er særlig relevant for velvære.

Artikkel IV undersøker hvorvidt opplevelser av kama muta eller ærefrykt under soloturer i naturen kan forutsi en økning i tilknytningen til naturen. Studien, som baserer seg på spørreskjemaer utfylt av voksne deltakere fra Tyskland, Norge og New Zealand, bruker blandete lineære modeller for å analysere data både før og etter turene. Resultatene indikerer at disse to emosjonene, som varierer fra middels til sterk korrelasjon, kan forutsi en forsterket naturtilknytning.

Denne avhandlingen foreslår en tverrfaglig teoretisk tilnærming for å forstå emosjoner som er fundamentale for menneske-natur-relasjoner. Den tilbyr metodologiske anbefalinger for forskning på emosjoner utendørs og gir innsikt i hvordan emosjonelle aspekter ved utendørsopplevelser, spesielt i solo kontekster, er koblet til velvære og miljøspørsmål, med praktiske implikasjoner for friluftsliv i utdannings-, fritids- og terapeutiske sammenhenger.