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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Is School Adjustment Related to Environmental Empathy and Connectedness to Nature?

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espanolLa empatia ambiental y la conexion con la naturaleza son dos constructos relevantes para explicar las variaciones en el comportamiento proambiental. Sin embargo, poco se sabe acerca de si la empatia ambiental (cognitiva y emocional) y la conexion con la naturaleza pueden variar en funcion del ajuste escolar. Los participantes fueron 881 adolescentes espanoles de 12 a 17 anos (47.2% hombres). El diseno fue un MANOVA 2 × 2 (ajuste escolar × sexo). Los resultados del analisis de CFA confirmaron los supuestos teoricos sobre dos dimensiones diferentes pero relacionadas de la empatia ambiental (cognitiva y emocional) y la conectividad con la naturaleza como un constructo unidimensional. En general, los resultados mostraron que un alto ajuste escolar se relacionaba con una mayor empatia ambiental (cognitiva y emocional) y una mayor conexion con la naturaleza. Ademas, se observo interaccion entre el ajuste escolar y el sexo. Las mujeres reportaron un nivel mas alto de empatia emocional ambiental y conexion con la naturaleza (independientemente de su ajuste escolar). En contraste, los hombres con ajuste escolar bajo y alto reportaron menor empatia emocional ambiental que las mujeres con ajuste escolar alto. Ademas, solo los hombres con alto ajuste en la escuela informaron de una conexion similar con la naturaleza que las mujeres (independientemente de su ajuste escolar). Se discuten las implicaciones de estos hallazgos para la investigacion y la intervencion psicosocial en el ambito de la educacion ambiental. EnglishEnvironmental empathy and connectedness to nature are two main constructs that explain variations in pro-environmental behavior. However, little is known about whether environmental (cognitive and emotional) empathy and connectedness to nature might vary as a function of school adjustment. Participants were 881 Spanish adolescents from 12 to 17 years old (47.2% males). The design was a 2 × 2 MANOVA (school adjustment × sex). Results of the CFA analysis confirmed the theoretical assumptions about two different but related aspects of environmental empathy (cognitive and emotional) and connectedness to nature as a unidimensional construct. Overall, results showed that high school adjustment was related to higher environmental empathy (cognitive and emotional) and greater connectedness to nature. Moreover, interactions were found between school adjustment and sex. Females reported the highest levels of environmental emotional empathy and connectedness to nature (regardless of their school adjustment). By contrast, males with both low and high school adjustment reported lower environmental emotional empathy than females with high school adjustment. Furthermore, only males with high school adjustment reported similar connectedness to nature to that of females (regardless of their school adjustment). Implications of these findings for research and psychosocial interventions in environmental education are discussed.