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Interesting Kids De invloed van (in)directe natuurervaringen op psychologisch welzijn, natuurbeleving, attitude en gedragsintentie.

Kuijpers, Merel (2011) Interesting Kids De invloed van (in)directe natuurervaringen op psychologisch welzijn, natuurbeleving, attitude en gedragsintentie.

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Abstract:This report describes a study about the effects of (in)direct nature experiences among children aged from 8 to 12 years in the field of psychological well-being, environmental preference, attitude and behavioral intentions. The study was conducted because there is a declining interest among children for outdoor activities. The main purpose of this study was to find out how children can get more interested in outdoor activities using virtual and real nature experiences. This specific study follows a series of studies on the effects of virtual reality on psyche and behavior among adults, but it gives a first indication of the effects among children. The research was conducted through two experiments. In study I about 130 pupils of grades 5, 6 and 7 of a primary school in Enschede, in the east of the Netherlands, participated in a study to find out the differences in effects between real and virtual experiences of nature. The group was divided into two and the children experienced either a real or a virtual nature experience. Both groups played the same game in a similar environment. The children filled out a questionnaire before and after the experience. In study II students of grades 6 and 7 of the same primary school participated in a study about the influence of landscape types and environmental preferences within a virtual environment. A total of 193 children participated in the study. The group was divided into three smaller groups and the children played the same computer game in different landscapes. The groups played the game in a neighborhood, a forest or a beach environment. These children also filled out a questionnaire before and after the nature experience. The results showed that direct, real nature experiences gain more positive effects in children than virtual nature experiences in the field of psychological well-being, pleasure, environmental preference, attitude and behavioral intentions. Landscape type does not appear to induce different effects and these different types are experienced similarly. The main conclusion of this study is that, despite the increasing influence of virtual reality in the daily lives of children, a real nature experience is a more effective way to gain interest in nature activities, unlike a virtual experience of nature. The use of different landscapes in virtual environments does not ensure that children experience and appreciate the environments differently. The use of different types of landscape does not cause other effects among children. Nature-related and environmental organizations can use nature-related computer games for marketing purposes, but kids are not likely to undertake more nature activities by themselves. The main advantage of the use of a virtual environment is the fun children have playing with it. To make sure that greater interest in outdoor activities is raised among children and to ensure that children will visit nature more frequently by themselves, nature-related and environmental organizations should continue to work on organizing activities for children in real life.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Clients:
Staatsbosbeheer
Basisschool de Triangel, Enschede
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:05 communication studies
Programme:Communication Studies MSc (60713)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/61281
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