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The mediating role of place attachment between nature connectedness and human well-being: perspectives from Japan

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Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated the role of nature connectedness in promoting human well-being. However, recent studies put emphasis on understanding the underlying mechanism that drives the association between nature connectedness and well-being, mainly mental health. Place attachment is one of the place-based socio-psychological concepts that is believed to explain this association. Analysis of survey data collected from Japanese nationals (N = 2203) revealed place attachment to have a positive and significant mediating effect on the association. Place attachment contributes to 30% of the total effect of nature connectedness on the well-being of the studied population. Furthermore, the study also observed the relationship between nature connectedness and place attachment, and place attachment and human well-being to be direct and significant. Thus, the current research supports the fact that higher levels of well-being associated with nature connectedness are due to the sense of attachment to a place that nature provides.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Environment Research and Technology Development Fund [S-15 Predicting and Assessing Natural Capital and Ecosystem Services (PANCES)] of the Ministry of the Environment, Japan. The authors would also like to acknowledge the time and effort of the respondents in filling out the questionnaire.

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  1. Mrittika Basu

    Present address: Laboratory of Sustainable Rural Development, Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606 8502, Japan

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  1. Laboratory of Landscape Ecology and Planning, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113 8657, Japan

    Mrittika Basu, Shizuka Hashimoto & Rajarshi Dasgupta

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Basu, M., Hashimoto, S. & Dasgupta, R. The mediating role of place attachment between nature connectedness and human well-being: perspectives from Japan. Sustain Sci 15, 849–862 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-019-00765-x

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