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Jacobs Dissertation Final.pdf (1.53 MB)

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Gratitude Letters to Nature: Effects on Self-Nature Representations and Pro-Environmental Behavior

Jacobs, Tyler Perry
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2025-9402
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1656603010386983

Abstract Details

2022, Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, Psychology.
Although gratitude is often defined as being an emotion that motivates reciprocity and connectedness between people, individuals can also experience gratitude to nonhuman entities such as nature. Despite expressions of gratitude to nature being common in cultures throughout world, little research has examined its implications for sustainability. In two studies, the current research explored how writing letters of gratitude to nature might increase pro-environmental behavior by leading people to see nature as large and by leading to more inclusion of nature in one’s self-concept. Study 1 compared the effects of nature gratitude letters to gratitude letters to built environments and to a neutral control condition, finding that nature gratitude letters led to greater inclusion of nature in self and greater nature size. Although there was no direct effect on intentions to act pro-environmentally, the nature gratitude letter had indirect effects leading to greater intentions via both increased nature size and nature inclusion. Study 2 aimed to replicate these findings and extend them by testing the role of two potential moderators: biospheric value orientation and personal norms of positive reciprocity. First, we found that the nature gratitude letter led to more nature inclusion, greater nature size, more self-transcendent emotion, and more pro-environmental behavioral intentions compared to the built gratitude letter. Second, an interaction was found such that the effect of the nature gratitude letter on pro-environmental behavioral intentions was only significant among those with average or greater endorsement of biospheric values. Implications for sustainability and emotion research are discussed.
Allen McConnell, PhD (Committee Chair)
Heather Claypool, PhD (Committee Member)
Jonathan Levy, PhD (Committee Member)
Jeffery Hunger, PhD (Committee Member)
Allison Farrell, PhD (Committee Member)
67 p.
Social Psychology
gratitude; self-concept; pro-environmental behavior; sustainability; values

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Jacobs, T. P. (2022). Gratitude Letters to Nature: Effects on Self-Nature Representations and Pro-Environmental Behavior [Doctoral dissertation, Miami University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1656603010386983

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Jacobs, Tyler. Gratitude Letters to Nature: Effects on Self-Nature Representations and Pro-Environmental Behavior. 2022. Miami University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1656603010386983.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Jacobs, Tyler. "Gratitude Letters to Nature: Effects on Self-Nature Representations and Pro-Environmental Behavior." Doctoral dissertation, Miami University, 2022. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1656603010386983

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

miami1656603010386983
278
© 2022, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Miami University and OhioLINK.
Release 3.2.12