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HOW MUCH DO CHILDREN LOVE NATURE? VALIDATION OF THE BIOPHILIA INTERVIEW AND A REVISED CONNECTEDNESS TO NATURE INDEX AMONG PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

The basis of the construct of connectedness to nature is an individual’s emotional and cognitive connection to nature, which requires the development of sensitivity to nature and the environment for pro- ecological behaviors such as conservation, recycling, and preservation of natural areas. According to Chang and Monroe (2012), the Connectedness to Nature Index consists of four components: empathy, pleasure, responsibility, and a sense of oneness with nature. For Perkins (2010), it is love and care for the environment, which includes a cognitive component, reading, information, and exploration of nature, and especially ecological altruism. In their research, the authors found high correlations between the Connectedness to Nature Index, family values, previous experiences in nature, and the presence of a natural environment near the family home. The importance of children’s interest and participation in nature activities was particularly highlighted as a variable contributing to the development of connectedness to nature. Numerous studies have indicated that urban lifestyles and media technologies are factors that most greatly contribute to the observed lack of empathy and sensitivity toward nature, i.e., the “decline” in children’s sense of connectedness to nature (Richardson, Hallam & Lumber, 2015: 8). At the same time, research results have suggested that fostering a stronger connectedness to nature 10 E-mail: dunja.andic@uniri.hr 59 HOW MUCH DO CHILDREN LOVE NATURE? VALIDATION OF THE BIOPHILIA INTERVIEW AND A REVISED CONNECTEDNESS ... has numerous benefits, from sensitivity to living things and empathy to strengthening motor and cognitive skills, developing creativity, and reducing anxiety and stress at home and at school, which is especially important in a world that is deeply permeated by electronic media (Capaldi, 2014 ; Gifford & Chen, 2016 ; Larson et al., 2019). It is crucial to encourage the development of connectedness to nature from an early age, which is directly related to early incentives for connectedness to nature through family and especially through practices in kindergartens (Andrejewski, Mowen & Kerstetter, 2011 ; Anđić & Tatalović Vorkapić, 2019 ; Anđić, 2022 ; Bailie, 2012 ; Chawla, 2020). Thus far, there have been no studies measuring the construct of connectedness to nature on a sample of early childhood and preschool children in Croatia. In foreign research, there has been a visible trend of researchers focusing on the construction of instruments that could cover such a population. The aim of this research was to adapt and validate a scale for measuring biophilia and biophobia and connectedness to nature in early childhood and preschool children as well as to determine its measurement characteristics.

biophilia, biophobia, connectedness to nature, children, wellbeing

The realization of this study was supported in part by the University of Rijeka, under the project number (uniri-drustv-18-11): Children’s Well-Being in Transition Periods: The Empirical Validation of Ecological-Dynamic Model.