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Many Labs 3 is a crowdsourced project that systematically evaluated time-of-semester effects across many participant pools. See the Wiki for a table of contents of files and to download the manuscript.

a b s t r a c tTheory and correlational research suggest that connecting with nature may facilitate prosocial and environmentally sustainable behaviors. In three studies we test causal direction with experimental manipulations of nature exposure and laboratory analogs of cooperative and sustainable behavior. Participants who watched a nature video harvested more cooperatively and sustainably in a fishing-themed commons dilemma, compared to participants who watched an architectural video (Study 1 and 2) or geometric shapes with an audio podcast about writing (Study 2). The effects were not due to mood, and this was corroborated in Study 3 where pleasantness and nature content were manipulated independently in a 2 Â 2 design. Participants exposed to nature videos responded more cooperatively on a measure of social value orientation and indicated greater willingness to engage in environmentally sustainable behaviors. Collectively, results suggest that exposure to nature may increase cooperation, and, when considering environmental problems as social dilemmas, sustainable intentions and behavior.

Abstract:From the increasing number of people living in urban areas to the continued degradation of the natural environment, many of us appear to be physically and psychologically disconnected from nature. We consider the theoretical explanations and present evidence for why this state of affairs might result in suboptimal levels of hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing by reviewing the large body of research on the mental health benefits of connecting with nature. The advantages of contact with nature as a potential wellbeing intervention are discussed, and examples of how this research is being applied to reconnect individuals to nature and improve wellbeing are given. We conclude by considering the limitations of, and proposing future directions for, research in this area. Overall, evidence suggests that connecting with nature is one path to flourishing in life.

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Abstract:From the increasing number of people living in urban areas to the continued degradation of the natural environment, many of us appear to be physically and psychologically disconnected from nature. We consider the theoretical explanations and present evidence for why this state of affairs might result in suboptimal levels of hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing by reviewing the large body of research on the mental health benefits of connecting with nature. The advantages of contact with nature as a potential wellbeing intervention are discussed, and examples of how this research is being applied to reconnect individuals to nature and improve wellbeing are given. We conclude by considering the limitations of, and proposing future directions for, research in this area. Overall, evidence suggests that connecting with nature is one path to flourishing in life.

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Introduction Canadian surveys from spring/summer 2020 suggest the prevalence of some positive mental health (PMH) outcomes have declined compared to pre-pandemic levels. However, less is known about the state of PMH during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We compared adults’ self-rated mental health (SRMH), community belonging and life satisfaction in Fall 2020 versus 2019 in the overall population and across sociodemographic characteristics using cross-sectional data from the Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health (September–December, 2020) and the 2019 Canadian Community Health Survey. We also conducted regression analyses to examine which sociodemographic factors were associated with reporting in Fall 2020 that one’s mental health was about the same or better compared to before the pandemic. Results Fewer adults reported high SRMH in Fall 2020 (59.95%) than in 2019 (66.71%) and fewer reported high community belonging in Fall 2020 (63.64%) than in 2019 (68.42%). Rated from 0 (very dissatisfied) to 10 (very satisfied), average life satisfaction was lower in Fall 2020 (7.19) than in 2019 (8.08). Females, those aged under 65 years, those living in a population centre, and those absent from work due to COVID-19 had lower odds of reporting that their mental health was about the same or better in Fall 2020. Conclusion The PMH of adults was lower during the pandemic’s second wave. However, the majority of individuals still reported high SRMH and community belonging. The findings identify certain sociodemographic groups whose mental health appears to have been more negatively impacted by the pandemic. Continued surveillance is important in ensuring mental health builds back better and stronger in Canada after the pandemic.