Environmental Legacy Across the Lifespan: Eco-Generativity, Nature Exposure, and Pro-Environmental Behavior
Selma Korlat, Mathew White, Jana Nikitin

TL;DR
This study explores how exposure to nature encourages people of all ages to care for the environment and act sustainably, especially through the concept of eco-generativity.
Contribution
The paper introduces eco-generativity as a distinct motivation for pro-environmental behavior and examines its relationship with nature exposure across the lifespan.
Findings
Nature exposure is more strongly linked to social generativity in older adults.
Momentary nature exposure increases both social and eco-generativity across all age groups.
Eco-generativity partially mediates the link between nature exposure and pro-environmental behavior.
Abstract
Generativity and the legacy one leaves behind have been proposed as strong developmental motivators for older adults to engage in actions that mitigate the negative effects of climate change (Diehl, 2022). However, only a handful of studies have specifically examined social generativity (care for people) and eco-generativity (care for nature) as distinct motivations for preserving humankind and its resources. Moreover, previous research suggests that nature exposure promotes prosocial and environmentally sustainable behaviors. The goal of this study was to investigate the facilitating role of nature exposure in social and eco-generativity across the lifespan. In Study 1, data from a nationally representative survey in the UK were analyzed (N = 18,633). The results showed that, for older adults, nature exposure was more strongly associated with social generativity, whereas the…
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Taxonomy
TopicsIdentity, Memory, and Therapy · Urban Green Space and Health · Aging and Gerontology Research
