Forces of Nature Affect Implicit Connections With Nature

The purpose of this study was to examine whether seasonal and meteorological changes in nature correspond to environmental attitudes and concerns. An implicit connection to nature task, environmental concern scale, and conservation behavior survey were administered to 220 participants across spring, autumn, and winter seasons in a temperate region of the United States. These behavioral data were correlated with temperature and precipitation data from the U.S. National Weather Service. Results indicated seasonal and meteorological factors were associated with performance on the implicit task, but not explicit, environmental attitudes and self-reported behaviors. These findings suggested contextual influences in the natural environment correspond to implicit connectedness with nature.