與大自然的親密接觸也會讓孩子們更快樂

與大自然的親密接觸也會讓孩子們更快樂

There's plenty of research demonstrating the link between being in nature and being happy, but most of the research has focused on adults.

有很多研究證明了生活在大自然和快樂之間的聯(lián)系，但大多數研究都集中在成年人身上。

In a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, researchers wanted to see if kids reap the same feel-good benefits from being in the great outdoors.

在《心理學前沿》雜志上發(fā)表的一項新研究中，研究人員想看看孩子們是否也能從戶外活動中獲得同樣的愉悅感。

A little girl plays in the woods in her yellow raincoat. Yulai Studio/Shutterstock

For the study, researchers worked with 296 children between the ages of 9 and 12 in a northwestern Mexican city. To measure how connected they were to nature, the kids were asked how much they enjoying activities like seeing wildflowers and wild animals, hearing sounds of nature and touching animals and plants.

在這項研究中，研究人員對墨西哥西北部一個城市的296名9到12歲的兒童進行了研究。為了衡量他們與大自然的聯(lián)系程度，孩子們被問及他們有多喜歡看野花和野生動物、聽大自然的聲音、觸摸動植物等活動。

The researchers also measured the children's attitudes toward sustainable behaviors by making statements that addressed concepts of altruism, equity, frugality and pro-ecological behavior to determine how much they agreed with them. The statements involved activities like giving away used clothing, helping those who are hurt, saving water and recycling.

研究人員還通過陳述利他主義、公平、節(jié)儉和親生態(tài)行為的概念來衡量孩子們對可持續(xù)行為的態(tài)度，以確定他們對這些概念的認同程度。這些聲明涉及的活動包括捐贈舊衣服，幫助受傷的人，節(jié)約用水和循環(huán)利用。

The statements that had the highest links with connectedness in nature were "picking up trash from the ground can help the environment," "taking care of animals is important," and "human beings are part of the natural world."

“從地上撿垃圾有助于保護環(huán)境”、“照顧動物很重要”和“人類是自然世界的一部分”是與大自然聯(lián)系最緊密的語句。

The researchers found that the kids who saw themselves connected to nature were more likely to act sustainably. Also, the more concerned they were about the environment and nature, the more likely they were to say they were happy.

研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，自認為與大自然有聯(lián)系的孩子更有可能采取可持續(xù)的行動。而且，他們越關心環(huán)境和自然，就越有可能說自己快樂。

Why connectedness to nature is important

為什么與自然的聯(lián)系很重要

The researchers acknowledge that the study was limited in that it only tested children from the same city and might not be representative of other groups. However, the researchers say that findings "provide insight into the power of positive psychology of sustainability in children."

研究人員承認，這項研究的局限性在于，它只測試了來自同一城市的兒童，可能不能代表其他群體。然而，研究人員表示，這些發(fā)現(xiàn)“為兒童可持續(xù)性的積極心理學的力量提供了洞見。”

Explaining the motivation behind the study, they write, "Given the environmental problems humanity is currently facing, and considering that the future of the planet lies in the hands of children and their actions, research on the determinants of sustainable behaviors in children has become more relevant; nonetheless, studies on this topic focusing on children are scarce."

在解釋這項研究背后的動機時，他們寫道:“考慮到人類目前面臨的環(huán)境問題，并考慮到地球的未來掌握在兒童和他們的行動手中，研究兒童可持續(xù)行為的決定因素變得更加重要;然而，針對兒童這一主題的研究卻很少。”

The researchers note that with environmental issues such as global warming, deforestation and species extinction, more studies are focusing on the relationships between humans and nature to find solutions to these threats. They cite research about "nature-deficit disorder" to describe a lack of connectedness that children often feel about the natural world.

研究人員指出，隨著全球變暖、森林砍伐和物種滅絕等環(huán)境問題的出現(xiàn)，越來越多的研究開始關注人類與自然的關系，以找到解決這些威脅的方法。他們引用了關于“自然缺失癥”的研究來描述孩子們對自然世界缺乏聯(lián)系的感覺。

Because young people are the "future custodians of the planet," researchers are working to learn how to promote sustainable behaviors and encourage environmental concern in children.

因為年輕人是“地球未來的監(jiān)護人”，研究人員正在努力學習如何促進可持續(xù)行為，鼓勵兒童關注環(huán)境問題。

Nature for adults

大自然對成年人的影響

Adults set examples for their kids when it comes to nature appreciation. vvvita/Shutterstock

So much research has focused on how being in nature can have benefits for adult well-being.

很多研究都集中在研究生活在大自然中對成年人的健康有什么好處。

Studies have shown that walking among trees makes us relaxed, nicer people. Even just smelling the trees helps ease anxiety. The more green space in a neighborhood, the happier people say they are. One study even found that walking in a park can give you the same feel-good sensations as Christmas.

研究表明，在樹林中散步能使我們放松，成為更友善的人。即使只是聞一下樹木也能幫助緩解焦慮。一個社區(qū)的綠色空間越多，人們說他們越快樂。一項研究甚至發(fā)現(xiàn)，在公園散步可以給你帶來和圣誕節(jié)一樣的感覺。

In one study, researchers even tried to identify the most effective "dose" of nature within the context of normal daily life. They found that spending 20-30 minutes outdoors soaking in nature was the prescription for health and happiness.

在一項研究中，研究人員甚至試圖確定日常生活中大自然最有效的“劑量”。他們發(fā)現(xiàn)，花20-30分鐘泡在戶外的大自然中是健康和快樂的良方。

And when adults are outside and appreciate nature, kids learn by example.

當成年人在戶外欣賞大自然時，孩子們會效仿。

"Children need role models ... who can gently guide them to nature with excitement, optimism and an attitude of a lifelong learner," Miyuki Maruping, a gardening teacher at the Waldorf School of Atlanta, tells CNN, commenting on the newest study.

“孩子們需要榜樣……能夠帶著興奮、樂觀和終身學習者的態(tài)度溫和地引導孩子接近大自然，”亞特蘭大華爾道夫學校的園藝老師Miyuki Maruping在評論最新研究時說。

"We don't have to be experts in environmental science or nature studies. What's more important is that we spend time together with children by exploring curiosity in a fun and safe environment."

“我們不必成為環(huán)境科學或自然研究方面的專家。更重要的是，我們要花時間和孩子們在一起，在一個有趣、安全的環(huán)境中探索他們的好奇心。”