Nature connectedness and self-emotional appraisal among adolescents: investigating the moderating role of time spent in nature / Conexión con la naturaleza y autoevaluación emocional entre adolescentes: investigando el papel moderador del tiempo pasado en la naturaleza

Abstract

Adolescents’ emotional development is profoundly influenced by increased technology dependence and nature disconnectedness, impacting their mental health. Hence, we hypothesized that spending more time in nature can strengthen the association between nature connectedness and the appraisal of one’s own emotions. Data were collected from 238 adolescent school students pursuing higher secondary education (eleventh and twelfth grades), by administering survey questionnaires in schools located in and around Vridhachalam, Tamil Nadu, India. Moderation analysis was utilized to assess the interaction effect of time spent in nature. The results provided empirical support for the proposed moderation model, where the overall model values showing R = .40, R² = .16, F(5, 232) = 8.65, p < .001 was found significant, explaining 16% of the change in the appraisal of one’s own emotions. These findings suggest that spending time in nature can strengthen the association between nature connectedness and self-emotional appraisal, implying the potential value of incorporating nature-based sustainable interventions in academic settings.