Kaplan Mintz Keren, Ayalon Ofira, Nathan Orly, Eshet Tzipi
Shamir Research Institute, University of Haifa, Kazerin, Israel.
University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
J Environ Psychol. 2021 Dec;78:101714. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101714. Epub 2021 Oct 28.
This study investigated how contact with nature benefitted well-being during a strict lockdown. The study took place in Israel during the last week of the first COVID-19 lockdown, when citizens were restricted to remain within 100 m of home. A survey company distributed questionnaires among 776 individuals. The questionnaires included demographic variables (gender, ethnic and cultural groups, age, income loss due to the pandemic), contact with nature variables (Nature near home, Nature viewed from home windows, and being in nature on the preceding day), and well-being measures (positive affect, negative affect, vitality, happiness, and stress). Before completing the well-being questionnaire, participants took part in an experiment that tested the effect of viewing nature images or urban images on well-being measures. The results showed that nature near home and nature viewed from the windows contributed to higher levels of well-being, and that being in nature on the preceding day was associated with higher levels of positive affect. These benefits emerged even among those who had been economically harmed by the pandemic. Viewing nature images was also associated with level of well-being, mainly to reduced level of stress and negative affect. The current findings extend the understanding of the benefits of access to nature during stressful times, particularly during emergencies when accessing remote nature is impossible. Furthermore, the findings highlight the dual effect of contact with nature on well-being: enhancement of positive affect together with reduction of negative affect and stress. The findings indicate that exposure to nature is much more valuable for women than for men. These findings are highly important in view of gender differences in pandemic's impact on people's well-being.
本研究调查了在严格封锁期间与自然接触如何有益于幸福感。该研究于以色列在首次新冠疫情封锁的最后一周进行，当时公民被限制在离家100米范围内。一家调查公司在776人当中分发了问卷。问卷包括人口统计学变量（性别、种族和文化群体、年龄、因疫情造成的收入损失）、与自然接触的变量（家附近的自然、从家中窗户看到的自然、前一天身处自然之中）以及幸福感测量指标（积极情绪、消极情绪、活力、幸福和压力）。在完成幸福感问卷之前，参与者参加了一项实验，该实验测试观看自然图像或城市图像对幸福感测量指标的影响。结果表明，家附近的自然以及从窗户看到的自然有助于提升幸福感水平，并且前一天身处自然之中与更高水平的积极情绪相关。这些益处甚至在那些因疫情遭受经济损失的人群中也有所体现。观看自然图像也与幸福感水平相关，主要是降低了压力和消极情绪的水平。当前的研究结果扩展了对在压力时期，尤其是在无法前往偏远自然的紧急情况下，接触自然的益处的理解。此外，研究结果突出了与自然接触对幸福感的双重影响：增强积极情绪同时减少消极情绪和压力。研究结果表明，接触自然对女性比对男性更有价值。鉴于疫情对人们幸福感影响方面的性别差异，这些研究结果非常重要。
