Eudaimonic self-expansion: The effects of eudaimonic reflections on nature connectedness

Research has identified a relationship between eudaimonic wellbeing and nature connectedness. However, the direction of this relationship has not been fully explored. In three studies, the present research tests the possibility that eudaimonic experiences can cause the self to expand to include nature (i.e., can increase nature connectedness). Each study focused on a different component of eudaimonic experiences: meaning, authenticity, and growth. In Study 1 (n = 395), participants reflected on how a future nature experience would give them a sense of meaning in life (eudaimonic) compared to reflecting on how it would be fun (hedonic) or how it would be planned (mundane). In Study 2 (n = 460), participants in the eudaimonic condition instead reflected on authenticity. In Study 3 (n = 462), eudaimonic reflections focused on growth. Across the three studies—and in a combined analysis using data from all 1314 participants—reflection on meaning and growth, but not authenticity, resulted in greater nature connectedness than either hedonic reflection or mundane reflection. In the combined analysis, hedonic reflection resulted in greater nature connectedness than mundane reflection; however, this effect appeared weaker than eudaimonia's effect. Thus, this set of studies seems to indicate that eudaimonic experiences can cause the self to expand to include nature and that this is not attributable to the fact that eudaimonic experiences are a form of positive experience.