Is School Adjustment Related to Environmental Empathy and Connectedness to Nature?

• Daniel Musitu-Ferrer ^[1] ; Macarena Esteban-Ibañez ^[1] ; Celeste León-Moreno ^[1] ; Oscar F. García ^[2]
  1. [1] Universidad Pablo de Olavide

     Universidad Pablo de Olavide

     Sevilla, España

     
  2. [2] Universitat de València

     Universitat de València

     Valencia, España

     
• Localización: Psychosocial Intervention, ISSN 1132-0559, Vol. 28, Nº. 2, 2019, págs. 101-110
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.5093/pi2019a8
• Títulos paralelos:
  • ¿Se relaciona el ajuste escolar con la empatía ambiental y la conexión con la naturaleza?
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo  1    2 (pdf) 
• Dialnet Métricas: 10 Citas
• Resumen
  • español

    La empatía ambiental y la conexión con la naturaleza son dos constructos relevantes para explicar las variaciones en el comportamiento proambiental. Sin embargo, poco se sabe acerca de si la empatía ambiental (cognitiva y emocional) y la conexión con la naturaleza pueden variar en función del ajuste escolar. Los participantes fueron 881 adolescentes españoles de 12 a 17 años (47.2% hombres). El diseño fue un MANOVA 2 × 2 (ajuste escolar × sexo). Los resultados del análisis de CFA confirmaron los supuestos teóricos sobre dos dimensiones diferentes pero relacionadas de la empatía ambiental (cognitiva y emocional) y la conectividad con la naturaleza como un constructo unidimensional. En general, los resultados mostraron que un alto ajuste escolar se relacionaba con una mayor empatía ambiental (cognitiva y emocional) y una mayor conexión con la naturaleza. Además, se observó interacción entre el ajuste escolar y el sexo. Las mujeres reportaron un nivel más alto de empatía emocional ambiental y conexión con la naturaleza (independientemente de su ajuste escolar). En contraste, los hombres con ajuste escolar bajo y alto reportaron menor empatía emocional ambiental que las mujeres con ajuste escolar alto. Además, solo los hombres con alto ajuste en la escuela informaron de una conexión similar con la naturaleza que las mujeres (independientemente de su ajuste escolar). Se discuten las implicaciones de estos hallazgos para la investigación y la intervención psicosocial en el ámbito de la educación ambiental.

  • English

    Environmental empathy and connectedness to nature are two main constructs that explain variations in pro-environmental behavior. However, little is known about whether environmental (cognitive and emotional) empathy and connectedness to nature might vary as a function of school adjustment. Participants were 881 Spanish adolescents from 12 to 17 years old (47.2% males). The design was a 2 × 2 MANOVA (school adjustment × sex). Results of the CFA analysis confirmed the theoretical assumptions about two different but related aspects of environmental empathy (cognitive and emotional) and connectedness to nature as a unidimensional construct. Overall, results showed that high school adjustment was related to higher environmental empathy (cognitive and emotional) and greater connectedness to nature. Moreover, interactions were found between school adjustment and sex. Females reported the highest levels of environmental emotional empathy and connectedness to nature (regardless of their school adjustment). By contrast, males with both low and high school adjustment reported lower environmental emotional empathy than females with high school adjustment. Furthermore, only males with high school adjustment reported similar connectedness to nature to that of females (regardless of their school adjustment). Implications of these findings for research and psychosocial interventions in environmental education are discussed.

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