Nature With a Human Touch: Human-Induced Alteration Negatively Impacts Perceived Naturalness and Preferences for Natural Environments
Abstract
Natural environments vary in the degree to which humans have altered them; some environments, like wilderness areas, are relatively untouched, while others, like urban green spaces, are heavily manicured. The current research examined the effect of human-induced alteration to natural environments on perceived naturalness and environmental preferences in a student sample (Study 1) and a sample of nonstudent adults (Study 2). It was predicted that a human-altered natural environment would be viewed as less natural than a non-altered natural environment. It was also predicted that a human-altered natural environment would be viewed more negatively than a non-altered natural environment. Results largely supported these predictions. Human-altered natural environments were viewed as less natural than non-altered natural environments, and across several indicators of environmental preference, participants responded more negatively to human-altered natural environments than non-altered natural environments. Perceived naturalness mediated the effect of human-induced alteration on each environmental preference variable, suggesting that non-altered environments are preferred because they are viewed as more natural than their human-altered counterparts. These findings are consistent with an evolutionary account of non-altered natural environments offering more benefits and entailing fewer costs than human-altered natural environments. Key Words: Nature—Naturalness—Environmental preferences—Human impact—Conservation.
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- Authors
- McMahan, E. A., Cloud, J. M., Josh, P., & Scott, M.
- Affiliations
- Western Oregon University (US)
- ORCID
- Cloud, Jaime M.
- Venue
- Ecopsychology
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2016-03
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 54-63
- ISSN
- 1942-9347 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2338750576
- Cited by
- 15
- References
- 38
- Citations by year
- 2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 1.05
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Ecopsychology (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Urban Green Space and Health
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Environmental Philosophy and Ethics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Aesthetic Perception and Analysis
- Keywords
- perceived naturalness, environmental preferences, natural environment, wilderness, urban green space, conservation, evolutionary psychology, anthropogenic impacts
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