Close
Search
Menu Menu
[gtranslate]

Could nature be the antidote to dehumanisation?

Credit: Pexels
By
London, UK
0 comments
0 comments

According to recent research, spending time in nature can enhance our perception of others’ humanity. It suggests that this commonly accessible experience could be hugely beneficial for the reignition of healthy social interactions in an increasingly isolationist world.

If you know me, then you’ll know I’m an absolute sucker for the outdoors.

Every chance I get, I’m either taking long walks the local wilderness, camping somewhere remote, or lying on whatever patch of grass I can find to gaze up at the trees.

Doing so has significantly improved my mental and physical wellbeing, deepened my connection with the environment, and taught me so much about the importance of protecting it.

This, of course, is a privilege. Not everyone has access to green spaces – nor the funds to go in search of them.

Yet as the planet’s health continues to deteriorate, and we continue to feel more detached as a society, researchers have once again begun pushing the message that nature is nurture and that we should be encouraging each other to immerse ourselves in it when we can.

From relatively outlandish suggestions that policymakers ought to trip on psychedelics so they develop a symbiotic relationship with Mother Earth and stop sleeping on the climate crisis, to doctors prescribing patients free year-long passes to national parks in a bid to alleviate their depression, anxiety, and other psychological disorders, many appear to have got the memo.

And while the focus so far has largely been on eco-activism and individual betterment, a new study claims that nature could be the antidote to dehumanisation and a solution to the issue of community-building losing its grip in our increasingly isolationist world.

Allow me to explain.

Published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, the paper stipulates that spending time outdoors can enhance our perception of others’ humanity.

This effect is due to the sense of self-transcendence (feeling connected to something bigger than oneself) that nature evokes, and has the potential to bolster prosocial behaviours, such as helping and cooperating with those around us.

Though seeing others as fully human is a fundamental aspect of how we interact, dehumanisation – which is linked to a range of negative outcomes like heightened aggression and reduced empathy – has become more and more prevalent in the digital age.

‘Since individuals cannot directly perceive others’ mental states, it is easy to overlook their humanity,’ write authors Xijing Wang, an assistant professor at City University of Hong Kong, and Lei Cheng, a lecturer at Fujian Normal University.

‘Disregarding this can result in negative interpersonal consequences, however. Therefore, we aimed to identify strategies that could enhance our perception of others’ humanity. Our study suggests that getting in touch with nature – a novel and easily implementable approach – can effectively achieve this goal.’

To explore this, the team conducted a series of six studies, which were designed to assess the impact of nature on perceptions of humanness in various settings.

Participants were from different cultural backgrounds, including China, the US, and the UK, to guarantee that the findings weren’t limited to a specific cultural or geographic context.

They show that those who had regular contact with nature attributed higher levels of humanness to others compared to those who had no access to nature elements like plants, trees, or parks.

‘Contact with nature not only helps to relax our minds but also fosters a sense of unity with others, thereby enhancing our perception of their humanity,’ the researchers told PsyPost.

‘This heightened perception, in turn, promotes positive social interactions, such as prosocial behaviour.’

Feature Media Manager & Senior Writer London, UK

Sofia (She/Her) – I’m the Deputy Editor & Media Partnership Manager at Thred, specialising in exclusive articles and live interviews, fashion and beauty with a focus on sustainability, women’s rights, psychedelics, and Latin America. I studied Spanish at the University of Exeter and International Journalism at City, London. Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn, and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.

Popular

Keep up with thred by signing up to our planet-positive newsletter!

More from thred.

Cosmetic vagina surgeries are hugely popular among Gen Z
Credit: Pexels
Fashion + Beauty

Cosmetic vagina surgeries are hugely popular among Gen Z

‘Designer vagina’ surgery is one of the fastest growing cosmetic procedures among young people worldwide. Recent research has uncovered that this is due to a lack of education and diverse representation. It’s never been easier to look at a vagina. In the digital age – unless parental controls are active – a quick dig through the less-regulated social media platforms like Twitter and Reddit will bombard users with a torrent of...

By London, UK
Opinion – we aren’t worried enough about our attention spans
Credit: Unsplash
Wellness

Opinion – we aren’t worried enough about our attention spans

Though people are discussing it openly online and trends have emerged to address it, our ability to concentrate is deteriorating by the day. Why does nobody seem that concerned? Two things I’ve noticed recently – both while commuting to work. For one, that all I ever seem to see these days is people looking down, staring blankly at the screen in their hands. I’m by no means exempt from this, I...

By London, UK
Gen Z’s latest accessory? Ear plugs
Credit: Stefano Giovannini
Fashion + Beauty

Gen Z’s latest accessory? Ear plugs

The unlikely trend has made ear safety stylish. What’s the harm?  The soundtrack of your teens and twenties usually involves crowded festivals, loud nightclubs, and headphones dialled up to high-volume. But Gen Z are starting to reject this cacophony with help from an unlikely accessory: the earplug. Studies have shown that for many young people, noise exposure poses a serious risk to the health of the ears and can even lead...

By Brighton, UK
Modern medicine continues to neglect women’s health
Credit: Thred
Wellness

Modern medicine continues to neglect women’s health

Women are disproportionately suffering from a lack of medical attention, facing difficulties seeking treatment for painful symptoms and having their needs misunderstood. In a supposedly developed world, we are consistently letting women down by failing to close the gender health gap. From Queen Elizabeth I’s white face makeup – which she used to cover smallpox scarring – to well-known modern-day lipstick brands including Mac, L’Oreal, and Maybelline,...

By Manchester, England
Accessibility