Nature Relatedness

A psychological construct describing the strength of a person's affective, cognitive, and experiential connection to the natural world. It is most often measured with the 21-item Nature Relatedness Scale (NRS) developed by Nisbet, Zelenski, and Murphy, which yields three subscales: NR-Self (internal identification with nature), NR-Perspective (an external worldview about humans and other species), and NR-Experience (physical comfort with and desire to be in nature). Higher nature relatedness is associated with better psychological wellbeing and pro-environmental behavior; accessibility research has begun applying the scale to disabled populations to surface inequities in opportunities for nature engagement.