A Pilot Study on the Measurement of Connectedness to Nature Around Nature Immersion with Green Exercise on Desert Trails

Authors

Dustin W. Davis, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Elias M. Malek, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Robert Salatto, Vanguard UniversityFollow
Marcus M. Lawrence, Southern Utah UniversityFollow
Jacob W. Manning, Southern Utah UniversityFollow
Mark DeBeliso, Southern Utah UniversityFollow
Merrill Russen Landers, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Graham McGinnis, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
James W. Navalta, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow

Abstract

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 5: Issue 1, Article 5, 2024. Studies have reported that non-exercise nature immersion (e.g., sitting) and green exercise increase connectedness to nature. The sitting was long, and the exercise was moderate-to-vigorous. And whether the scales used are valid and test-retest reliable is unclear. The main purpose of this study was to determine whether brief sitting and walking in green space affects connectedness to nature. The second purpose was to evaluate the concurrent validity of the Visual Analog Scale-Nature (VAS-N) with the Love and Care for Nature Scale (LCN). The third purpose was to assess the test-retest reliability of both scales. Participants completed both scales upon arriving (pre-sit), after a 10-min sit (post-sit), and after a 10-min walk (post-walk). The LCN scores increased from pre-sit to post-sit (p = .003, d = 0.28) and post-walk (p < .001, d = 0.48; 17.5% of participants increased beyond the minimal detectable change). The VAS-N and LCN scores were correlated (ρ = .71–.78, p < .001). Only the LCN had evidence of test-retest reliability (pre-sit, post-sit). Immersion in green space may have increased some people’s connectedness to nature. Evidence supported the VAS-N’s concurrent validity with the LCN, but the overall evidence for both scales’ test-retest reliability was weak

Repository Citation

Davis, Dustin W.; Malek, Elias M.; Salatto, Robert; Lawrence, Marcus M.; Manning, Jacob W.; DeBeliso, Mark; Landers, Merrill Russen; McGinnis, Graham; and Navalta, James W. (2024) "A Pilot Study on the Measurement of Connectedness to Nature Around Nature Immersion with Green Exercise on Desert Trails," Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology: Vol. 5: Iss. 1, Article 5.
Available at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/scholarship_kin/vol5/iss1/5