Search Results (275)

Scholars have long noted an “attitude–behavior gap” which reflects an incomplete understanding of how values and beliefs translate into pro-environmental action. This study develops and tests a conceptual model in which cultural worldviews along grid (hierarchy-egalitarianism) and group (individualism-communitarianism) dimensions shape environmental orientations, which in turn drive pro-environmental behavior. Environmental orientation is treated as having a cognitive component, measured by the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP), and an affective component, measured by the Connectedness to Nature Scale (CNS). Using survey data from 501 US adults collected online in July 2017, we estimate a Structural Equation Model (SEM) to test direct, indirect, and mediated relationships among cultural worldviews, the NEP, the CNS, and a 12-item self-reported behavior scale. Results showed hierarchical individualists held weaker ecological worldviews, while egalitarian communitarians held stronger ecological worldviews and felt more connected to nature. Both the NEP and CNS were positively associated with behavior, with the CNS showing the stronger relationship. Cultural worldviews had no significant direct effect on behavior; rather, their influence operated entirely through environmental orientations. These findings indicate that cultural worldviews shape pro-environmental behavior indirectly, mediated by cognitive and especially affective environmental orientations, helping to explain part of the attitude–behavior gap. Full article

As emerging media technologies, virtual reality (VR) applications are used to elicit emotional engagement across various contexts—entertainment, education, therapy, training, marketing, and fitness, to name a few—often with the hope of effecting behavioral change. Within the healthcare domain, VR technologies have been successfully leveraged to manage acute pain, but understanding of their efficacy in managing chronic pain remains limited. Current models emphasize the necessity of examining discrete effects of VR across multiple dimensions of pain, particularly its emotional impact. An emotion receiving increased attention by media scholars over the past few years is awe, the complex response to perceived vastness. Awe is a highly relevant, yet largely unexplored, emotion in chronic pain research, as it involves cognitive processes—vastness appraisals, feelings of connectedness, accommodation of new ideas—which may influence psychological processes shaping pain perception. To date, no study has examined the feasibility of inducing awe through VR among individuals with chronic pain. Accordingly, this preliminary study deployed a descriptive mixed-methods approach to examine the feasibility of utilizing a head-mounted display for VR-induced awe. Participants (n = 10) with CLBP viewed 360-degree virtual nature scenes depicting a mountain ascension, combined with music previously validated to elicit awe. Participants completed self-report measures before and after the VR session documenting pain intensity and emotional experiences. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted following the post-session surveys. Results from both methods support the feasibility of inducing awe among individuals with chronic pain via virtual immersion, showing overall positive affective changes and reduction in frequency of self- and pain-related thoughts. Full article

As the integration between urban public spaces and aquatic environments continues to deepen, waterside sports venues have gradually become important public spaces that combine sports, leisure, and nature-based experiential value. Existing studies have mainly focused on the functional configuration and spatial performance of sports venues, or on the restorative benefits of natural environments. However, relatively limited attention has been paid to the psychological pathway through which residents develop blue space connectedness and restorative experiences in waterside sports venues, and how these experiences are further associated with well-being. This study surveyed 1064 residents who had used waterside sports venues and constructed a chain mediation model linking perceived waterside sports venue design, blue space connectedness, perceived restorativeness, and residents’ well-being. Perceived waterside sports venue design was conceptualized as a second-order construct composed of water visibility, water accessibility, water harmony, and water interactivity, while perceived restorativeness was conceptualized as a second-order construct composed of being-away, fascination, extent, and compatibility. Questionnaire data were collected from residents, and structural equation modeling was employed to test the theoretical model. The results indicate that: (1) perceived waterside sports venue design is significantly and positively associated with residents’ well-being; (2) blue space connectedness and perceived restorativeness play independent mediating roles in the above relationship; (3) blue space connectedness and perceived restorativeness form a chain mediation pathway between perceived waterside sports venue design and residents’ well-being. The findings extend blue space and sport venue research by conceptualizing waterside sports venues as hybrid public environments that combine water-based spatial experience, sport participation, and restorative potential. By identifying the sequential roles of blue space connectedness and perceived restorativeness, this study provides a psychological explanation of how perceived waterside venue design is associated with residents’ well-being, and offers practical implications for health-oriented waterfront sport venue planning and evaluation. Full article

This study uses a TVP-VAR-DY connectedness framework to examine dynamic connectedness among economic policy uncertainty, energy markets, and the Guangdong pilot carbon market. By integrating system-wide connectedness, market-level spillovers, and evolving network structures, the analysis captures the time-varying co-movement across the energy–carbon nexus. At the system level, EPU exhibits a time-varying, regime-dependent association with systemic connectedness. Rather than being uniformly associated with stronger connectedness, heightened uncertainty coincides with rapid synchronization during financial stress, whereas under real economy conditions it is associated with more persistent, expectation-related co-movement. At the market level, clear heterogeneity emerges. Coal displays relatively low sensitivity to uncertainty shocks, oil alternates between net directional roles across regimes, natural gas shows strong sensitivity to uncertainty variation, and the carbon market responds more directly to policy and regulatory changes. From a network perspective, net directional roles and pairwise connectedness pathways vary across uncertainty regimes. The findings suggest that EPU is associated not only with changes in the intensity of connectedness but also with time-varying differences in its distribution across markets, highlighting the relevance of network-oriented monitoring frameworks for energy–carbon market stability. Full article

The literature has shown that contextual and individual factors of an emotional and motivational nature are often associated with good academic performance and regular school attendance. The present study aimed to examine indirect associations involving Academic Procrastination and School Climate in the relationship between learning behavior patterns (MO-LH) and school success in a sample of 539 Italian secondary school students (M_age = 16.5). Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships. The results showed that LH was positively associated with Academic Procrastination, whereas MO was negatively associated with it. Academic Procrastination was negatively associated with all dimensions of perceived School Climate (Teacher Support, Peer Connectedness, School Connectedness, Affirming Diversity, Rule Clarity, and Reporting and Seeking Help). School Achievement was positively associated with MO, School Connectedness, and Affirming Diversity, and negatively associated with Peer Connectedness. School Absence was negatively associated with MO. Mediation analyses suggested significant indirect associations between learning behavior patterns and school achievement, with Academic Procrastination and Affirming Diversity emerging as potential mediating variables. Findings highlight the importance of addressing emotional and motivational vulnerabilities and fostering a supportive school climate as potential factors associated with adaptive academic functioning and reduced maladaptive outcomes. Full article

Background: Mental health conditions remain a major yet underrepresented public health concern in Pakistan and globally, highlighting the need for innovative and complementary interventions. Nature-based interventions (NBIs), which involve structured engagement with natural environments to enhance health and wellbeing, offer a promising approach, particularly in the Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, a region renowned for its Himalayan forests, scenic valleys, and rich biodiversity. Methods: This study employed a qualitative descriptive design to explore mental health clinicians’ perceptions of NBIs in community mental health settings. Fourteen clinicians from the Hazara Division, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling between February and March 2026. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and audio-recorded. Transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s framework, supported by HyperRESEARCH software. Results: Participants generally perceived engagement with nature as calming, restorative, and therapeutically beneficial, and many reported informally encouraging clients to participate in nature-related activities. Clinicians expressed willingness to integrate NBIs into routine practice and identified potential benefits including improved mood, relaxation, empowerment, and enhanced social connectedness. However, several barriers were also identified, including client-related factors such as anxiety, low motivation, and skepticism, as well as contextual and organisational constraints such as gender-based limitations in access to natural spaces and safety-related policies. Conclusions: Despite these challenges, clinicians demonstrated strong support for NBIs, suggesting their potential as a feasible adjunct to mental health care in Pakistan. Addressing identified barriers may facilitate integration into routine services and enhance access to holistic mental health support in community settings. Full article

This paper examines how the travel intention of students is correlated with their mental health, in terms of stress reduction and psychological wellbeing. The study employs a combined model that integrates the Theory of Planned Behavior and Stress Recovery Theory to determine the role of travel intention. Travel self-efficacy, the pressure of social influence, the value of the travel experience, the perception of affordability, and the attitude towards tourism determines travel intention, leading to stress reduction and psychological wellbeing of students. The paper examines the mediating capacities of travel involvement and social connectedness and the moderating capacities of nature connectedness and travel frequency. Semi-structured interviews with 15 university students and a survey among 604 students in various universities in Bangladesh were used to collect data. Hypotheses were tested using PLS-SEM. Findings indicate that travel intention enhances psychological wellbeing and reduces stress, and travel involvement and social connectedness are important mediators. These relations are mediated by nature connectedness and frequency of travel, which increases the restorative effect of travel. The results indicate that tourism could be a viable approach to student mental health promotion, which has both practical and theoretical consequences on university policy and future tourism psychological studies. Full article

Background/Objectives: Young adults living with advanced cancer often experience substantial psychological and existential health challenges, while frequently being underserved by existing rehabilitative and palliative services. This mixed-methods study evaluated the effects and experiences of a nature-based intervention designed to ease the burden of distress and support coping in the context of an incurable illness. Methods: Four consecutive intervention groups participated in a six-week program consisting of one overnight nature camp and three outdoor sessions. Quantitative data on quality of life (FACT-G) were collected before and after each intervention cycle. At the session level, pre–post measures assessed distress, vitality, resilience, and perceived connectedness. Qualitative data consisted of post-intervention semi-structured group interviews. Results: Twenty-four participants completed the intervention. No significant change was observed in overall quality of life which is in line with expectations for palliative interventions for individuals with incurable illness. In contrast, session-level analyses showed consistent reductions in distress and increases in vitality, resilience, and connectedness across multiple domains. The qualitative findings indicated that the intervention provided a supportive context for emotional regulation, coping, social belonging and existential orientation. Conclusions: Together, the findings support that nature-based rehabilitative palliation may offer meaningful support for young adults living with advanced cancer. The study underscores the importance of multi-level mixed-methods evaluation for capturing the value of palliative interventions where temporality and situational benefit constitute central outcomes. Full article

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) education is being promoted to foster future leaders of a sustainable society; however, the relationship between SDG education experiences and environmentally conscious behavior and the role of nature connectedness have not been sufficiently examined. This study examined the factor structure of the Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire (SCQ), the mediating effect of sustainability consciousness, and the moderating effect of nature connectedness among 2347 first-year university students in Japan. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, mediation analysis, and moderation analysis confirmed a three-factor structure of the SCQ (Global Sustainability Attitude, Social Norm and Ethics, Daily Environmental Action). A significant partial mediating effect of sustainability consciousness (B = 0.120, 95% CI [0.094, 0.149]) and a significant moderating effect of nature connectedness (p = 0.011) were observed in the relationship between SDG education experience and environmentally conscious behavior; the stronger the connection with nature, the greater the effect of SDG education on behavior. These findings empirically demonstrate the mechanism through which SDG education experiences lead to environmentally conscious behavior and the moderating role of nature connectedness, contributing to sustainability consciousness research and Education for Sustainable Development. These results suggest the importance of fostering psychological connections with nature alongside knowledge provision. Full article

(1) Background: Digital nature, delivered through different media, has been proposed as a scalable substitute for physical nature exposure to support psychological well-being, especially in high-income countries. This scoping review aimed to map the evidence on digital nature interventions and positive psychological outcomes. (2) Methods: Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we searched PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar, supplemented by AI search and citation tracking, for studies published between 2020 and 2025. The first search was conducted between 15 November 2025 and 25 December 2025 and revisited between 5 June 2026 and 10 June 2026. We included articles published in English in peer-reviewed journals with the full text available. (3) Results: Our search yielded 67 studies from diverse cultural settings in three categories: primary studies (N = 46), review articles (N = 19) and conceptual articles (N = 2). Digital nature was associated with reduced stress and anxiety, better mood, greater restorativeness, and stronger nature connectedness, across healthy individuals, older adults, and clinical populations; reviews supported these findings at a larger scale, though some flagged mixed results for specific outcomes and technologies. Two conceptual articles explained these patterns through biophilic design and digital placemaking. (4) Conclusion: Overall, digital nature appears to be a promising approach for promoting psychological well-being, particularly where access to natural environments is limited. However, the evidence is mixed, geographically concentrated in Europe, East Asia, and North America, and methodologically heterogeneous, with no studies from low-resource settings. Further research is needed in these underrepresented regions. Full article

Guided forest bathing is increasingly incorporated into resort wellness portfolios, yet tourism evaluations often report average programme outcomes without examining how guests differ at entry or what the findings imply for product and service design. This prospective one-group pre–post field study examined a three-day guided forest bathing programme delivered as part of the organised wellness offer of a forest-rich Northern Adriatic resort. Of 150 enrolled adults, 132 provided matched questionnaires. Six study-specific experiential and relational dimensions were assessed before and after the programme: nature connectedness, restorative perception, sensory awareness, environmental-ethical sensitivity, planetary health orientation, and intention to continue nature-based self-care. All six post-programme scores were higher after Holm adjustment. The largest standardised differences were observed for sensory awareness (mean difference = 0.91, Cohen’s dz = 1.42), restorative perception (mean difference = 0.61, Cohen’s dz = 1.17), and future nature-based self-care (mean difference = 0.59, Cohen’s dz = 1.04). Change in sensory awareness correlated with change in restorative perception (r = 0.62) and nature connectedness (r = 0.58). Previous nature contact, nature-related hobbies, and spiritual-existential orientation predicted baseline nature connectedness, whereas integrative health orientation, wellness self-care, spirituality, and expectations predicted baseline future self-care. In baseline-adjusted models, lower previous forest contact was associated with higher post-programme sensory awareness. Because the study had no control group, these differences cannot be attributed specifically to guided forest bathing rather than to the wider resort stay, time away from routine, recreation, social interaction, expectancy, or repeated measurement. Co-created restorative value is proposed only as an interpretive framework and was not measured as a construct. For tourism and hospitality management, the findings generate testable decisions concerning guest onboarding, adaptive facilitation, guide training, expectation management, and the development of low-infrastructure nature-based wellness products. Full article

This study, based on the WELL Health Building Standard as the theoretical framework, combined with case analyses of 38 geriatric care hospital wards in South Korea and multi-group questionnaires (60 responses each from the medical service, design field, and elderly population groups), systematically explored the design elements and their importance cognition of healing environments in hospital rooms. Through cross-comparison analysis, quantitative (SPSS 25.0 multiple regressions, correlation analysis) and qualitative (ATLAS.ti 9 coding) data fusion methods, the study proposed four core design principles centered on “Beauty and Design,” “Nature Connectedness,” “Privacy,” and “Community and Information” and selected 36 key assessment indicators. The data analysis indicated that the perceived importance of the elderly population (AX) had the greatest impact on the compliance rate of rooms (AR) (β = 0.506, p = 0.002) and the medical staff group (AT) paid more attention to functional design (β = 0.506, p = 0.005), while the designer group (AV) emphasized aesthetic innovation and natural light planning (β = 0.367, p = 0.28). The study further proposed a hierarchical optimization strategy, emphasizing the balanced design of functional requirements, aesthetic innovation, and patient experience through cross-group collaborative design mechanisms. The research results provide theoretical and practical guidance for the healing environmental optimization of hospital rooms in elderly care hospitals. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI) is deeply integrated into daily life. Emerging evidence suggests AI may help change the dynamics of social relationships by influencing social interactions, connectivity, and interpersonal relationships, and by providing new avenues for communication and contributing to improved social well-being. Therefore, this review aims to explore the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies as a tool to enhance social health, focusing on current applications, advantages, challenges, and ethical considerations associated with their implementation, as well as opportunities for future development. The literature on the relationship between the connectedness of social health dimensions and AI as a tool to better understand how interactions with AI technologies may influence social well-being. In this current review, key terms such as “Artificial Intelligence”, “Social Health”, “social inequalities”, “AI algorithm”, “AI technology”, “social connection”, “digital communication”, “social participation”, “social support”, “social isolation”, “loneliness”, “mental wellbeing”, were used to search relevant literature on Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Sciences. In addition, relevant aspects of the multidimensional impacts of AI on social health dimensions are also discussed. The use of AI technologies by individuals within societies was found to hold profound potential to reshape social health through enhancing social relationships, bridging communication gaps in diverse populations, stimulating social dynamics, and understanding human emotions. It may contribute to reducing social inequalities, promoting equity, accommodating individual differences, and enhancing the effectiveness of many tasks in the social and health care systems through deep learning, natural language processing, and machine learning techniques. This reduces social exclusion and increases accessibility and quality of health and social services. However, AI has also posed distinguishable challenges to its adoption, specifically in terms of data quality, privacy and security, algorithmic bias, ethical issues, public trust and acceptance, and regulatory and policy gaps. Evidence suggests that building public trust in the future of AI in social health requires interdisciplinary collaboration among health providers and professionals, social scientists, community members, and policymakers. Such collaboration is crucial to ensure that AI platforms do not perpetuate social inequalities or biases by maintaining transparency, explainability, and demonstrated effectiveness. In conclusion, the integration of AI into social health dimensions holds promise for social health transformation. As we move forward, several key areas need to be addressed to develop a robust governance and regulatory framework, along with ethical guidelines to ensure privacy protection, respect for human rights, transparency, and the promotion of the common good. Full article

This study examines the moderating role of environmental connectedness in the relationship between environmental attitude and environmental protection intention among Generation Z polytechnic students in Singapore. A cross-sectional survey across five polytechnics yielded 709 valid responses, and partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to assess both direct and moderating effects. Findings confirm that environmental attitude significantly and positively influences environmental protection intention. However, environmental connectedness did not moderate this relationship, suggesting that in dense urban environments, cognitive attitudes may have a stronger impact than affective ties to nature. This study offers novel insights by extending the Theory of Planned Behaviour to include emotional constructs within an Asian urban setting, highlighting how limited nature exposure may weaken the role of affective factors. While the cross-sectional design and convenience sampling limit causal inference and generalisability, the findings align with national trends, as government agencies and educational institutions have intensified efforts to cultivate environmental awareness through green curricula and co-curricular programmes. These findings indicate that interventions such as curriculum redesign and gamification aimed at shaping environmental attitudes may be more effective than strategies relying solely on emotional engagement with nature, thereby supporting Singapore’s climate goals and fostering responsible urban citizenship. Full article

As green building concepts continue to expand into public cultural spaces, green concert halls not only serve functions of cultural communication and artistic services, but also play an important role in shaping urban residents’ psychological experiences and well-being. However, existing studies on green buildings have mainly focused on energy performance and technical indicators, while limited attention has been paid to how green cultural buildings are associated with residents’ well-being through environmental perception. In the Chinese context, research specifically examining green concert halls remains scarce. Based on environmental psychology and restorative environment theory, this study takes the Chengdu City Concert Hall, which has received China’s Three-Star Green Building certification, as the research object. A conceptual model of “green concert hall design perception–perceived nature connectedness–perceived restorativeness–residents’ well-being” was constructed to explore the underlying mechanisms linking green concert hall design perception and residents’ well-being. Green concert hall design perception was conceptualized as a second-order construct consisting of four dimensions: green design legibility, eco-environmental comfort, green aesthetic integration, and green cultural symbolism. Perceived nature connectedness and perceived restorativeness were introduced as mediating variables. A survey was conducted among 879 Chengdu residents with concert-hall attendance experience, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed for empirical analysis. The results indicate that (1) green concert hall design perception is significantly and positively associated with residents’ well-being; and (2) perceived nature connectedness and perceived restorativeness both play significant mediating roles in the relationship between green concert hall design perception and residents’ well-being, while also forming a significant sequential mediating effect. The findings suggest that green concert halls are associated with more positive environmental experiences through ecological and aesthetic characteristics, and that residents’ well-being may be further linked to strengthened nature connectedness and restorative perceptions. This study extends research on green public cultural buildings from the perspective of residents’ psychological perception, and provides theoretical support and practical implications for human-centered green concert hall design and the development of urban green cultural spaces. Full article