Invited Symposium EXPERIENCING, REGULATING, AND LEARNING FROM NATURE: MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES TO HUMAN-NATURE INTERACTIONS IN A CHANGING WORLD
Thursday 23 July 17:15 - 18:45
Hall: 24 - Room 3 SPT

Chair and Presenter: Vitale Valeria

Division: Division 4: Environmental Psychology

As global challenges such as climate change, urbanization, and biodiversity loss increasingly reshape ecosystems and societies, understanding how people experience, and learn through interactions with nature is both timely and critical. This symposium brings together complementary perspectives on different processes linking nature contact, emotional regulation, education, and urban design.
Maria Johansson (Lund University, Sweden) opens the session by addressing a novel understudied issue: how individuals appraise and emotionally respond to "new" wildlife species emerging from anthropogenic changes, such as wolf-dog hybrids. This contribution highlights the psychological dimensions of biodiversity management and how different perceptions shape responses to environmental change.
Valeria Vitale (University of Vienna, Austria) introduces a newly tool - the Nature Selection Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (NS-ERQ) for understanding how individuals select natural settings to regulate emotions. This work offers theoretical innovation and practical implications for environmental psychology and intervention design.
Valeria Chiozza (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy) presents empirical findings on how specific natural features (e.g., water, floral coverage, biodiversity) shape restorative experiences in urban parks. This study advances applied knowledge by linking environmental indicators with design criteria, for creating healthier, more sustainable cities.
Cecilia Stenfors (Stockholm University, Sweden) presents population-based research on how dimensions of greenspace and nature contact support public health via multiple pathways, including psychological, emotional, social, behavioural processes and ecosystem services, informing urban planning for human and environmental sustainability.
Finally, Paola Perucchini (Roma Tre University, Italy) examines the impact of Environmental Outdoor Education (EOE) in secondary schools through a longitudinal design. By demonstrating how EOE fosters social skills, environmental identity, civic engagement, and sustainable behaviour, this contribution emphasizes the importance of structured nature-based programs in formal education systems.


Together, these contributions highlight the urgent need to integrate psychological insights into biodiversity management, education, and urban design to promote human well-being and environmental sustainability.

3639

17:15
THE WILD AND THE TAME - HOW PEOPLE APPRAISE "NEW" WILDLIFE SPECIES IN CHANGING ECO-SYSTEMS

Johansson Maria * [1] , Sjölander-Lindqvist Annelie [2] , Ciucci Paolo [3]

Environmental Psychology, Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Lund University ~ Lund ~ Sweden [1] , School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg ~ Gothenburg ~ Sweden [2] , Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome ~ Rome ~ Italy [3]
3642

17:15
MANAGING EMOTIONS THROUGH NATURE: INTRODUCING THE NATURE SELECTION EMOTION REGULATION QUESTIONNAIRE (NS-ERQ)

Vitale Valeria * [1] , White Mathew [1] , Bratman Gregory N [2] , Gross James J [3] , Preece David A [3] , Bonaiuto Marino [4]

Urban and Environmental Psychology, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria [1] , School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, ~ Seattle ~ United States of America [2] , Department of Psychology, Stanford University ~ Stanford ~ United States of America [3] , Department of Psychology of Developmental and Socialization Processes, Sapienza University of Rome ~ Rome ~ Italy [4]
3644

17:15
DESIGNING HEALTHIER PARKS: PRELIMINARY TESTING OF PSYCHO-ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS FROM CERTIFICATION CRITERIA

Chiozza Valeria * [1] , Vitale Valeria [2] , Bonaiuto Flavia [3] , Esposito Lorenzo [4] , Ganucci Cancellieri Uberta [5] , Bonaiuto Marino [1]

Department of Psychology of Developmental and Socialization Processes, Sapienza University of Rome ~ Rome ~ Italy [1] , Urban and Environmental Psychology, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna ~ Vienna ~ Austria [2] , Faculty of Social and Communication Sciences, Mercatorum University ~ Rome ~ Italy [3] , Department of Earth Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome ~ Rome ~ Italy [4] , University for Foreigners "Dante Alighieri" of Reggio Calabria ~ Reggio Calabria ~ Italy [5]
3646

17:15
DIMENSIONS OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AT THE NEXUS OF HUMAN, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY: INFORMING URBAN DESIGN FOR PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Stenfors Cecilia *

Department of Psychology, Stockholm University & Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institute ~ Stockholm ~ Sweden
3658

17:15
OUTDOOR EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS: CROSS-LAGGED INSIGHTS INTO SOCIAL, ECOLOGICAL AND IDENTITY PROCESSES

Perucchini Paola * [1] , Chiozza Valeria [2] , Xie Mei [2] , Presaghi Fabio [2] , Alves Susana [2] , Grilli Simona [3] , Bonaiuto Marino [2]

Department of Education, Roma Tre University ~ Rome ~ Italy [1] , Department of Psychology of Developmental and Socialization Processes, Sapienza University of Rome ~ Rome ~ Italy [2] , Department of Human and Social Sciences, Universitas Mercatorum ~ Rome ~ Italy [3]