Using the Multidimensional AIMES to Estimate Connection-to-Nature in an Australian Population: A Latent Class Approach to Segmentation

Bradley S. Jorgensen () and Julia Meis-Harris
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Bradley S. Jorgensen: Business School, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
Julia Meis-Harris: BehaviourWorks Australia, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 19, 1-13

Abstract: Individuals can interact and develop multiple connections to nature (CN) which have different meanings and reflect different beliefs, emotions, and values. Human population are not homogenous groups and often generalised approaches are not effective in increasing connectedness to nature. Instead, target-group specific approaches focusing on different segments of the population can offer a promising approach for engaging the public in pro-environmental behaviours. This research employed latent class analysis to identify subgroups of individuals in a large, representative sample ( n = 3090) of an Australian region. Three groups were identified using the AIMES measure of CN with its focus on five types of connection to nature. The high CN group comprised about one-third (35.4%) of participants while the group with the lowest profile of scores contained around a fifth (18.6%) of participants. The majority (46.0%) of participants registered CN levels between the high and low groups. These classes were then regressed on predictor variables to further understand differences between the groups. The largest, consistent predictors of class membership were biocentric and social-altruistic value orientations, stronger intentions to perform pro-environmental behaviours in public (e.g., travel on public transport), the amount of time spent in nature, and the age of participants.

Keywords: connection to nature; segmentation; latent class analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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