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Nature as a Shield: exploring the link between trait and state nature connectedness and adolescent cyberbullying based on self-determination theory

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Rui Gao
Rui Gao
Rui Gao
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Hui Chen
Hui Chen
Hui Chen
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Rentao Zhang
Rentao Zhang
Rentao Zhang
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Wenwu Dai
Wenwu Dai
Wenwu Dai
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Abstract and Figures

Cyberbullying is a prevalent issue among adolescents. Previous studies have primarily explored the protective effects of the psychosocial factors on adolescent cyberbullying, neglecting the role and potential mechanisms of physical environmental factors, such as nature connectedness. Based on self-determination theory, this research investigated the relationship between both trait and state nature connectedness and adolescent cyberbullying, as well as the potential mediating role of basic psychological needs. Study 1 used a questionnaire survey with 1110 adolescents as participants to explore the association between trait nature connectedness and cyberbullying behavior and underlying mechanisms. Study 2 employed an experimental approach with 73 adolescents as participants to investigate the relationship between state nature connectedness and cyberbullying intentions. The results of these two studies indicated that both trait nature connectedness and state nature connectedness were negatively associated with adolescent cyberbullying. Moreover, basic psychological needs were identified as a partial mediator in the relationship between trait nature connectedness and cyberbullying behavior, while acting as a full mediator in the relationship between state nature connectedness and cyberbullying intentions. This research contributed a theoretical foundation for expanding protective factors against adolescent cyberbullying and provided natural intervention strategies to address this issue.
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Current Psychology (2024) 43:35052–35065
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-07010-4
Introduction
Cyberbullying refers to the aggressive and intentional
behaviors carried out by individuals or groups, using elec-
tronic forms of communication, repeatedly and over time
against a victim who cannot easily defend themselves (Smith
et al., 2008). With the increasing popularity of the Internet,
cyberbullying has gradually emerged as a widespread issue
among adolescents worldwide. For example, the prevalence
rate of adolescent cyberbullying worldwide has ranged from
13.99 to 57.5% in recent years (Zhu et al., 2021). More-
over, the unique anonymity of cyberbullying exacerbates
its harm and poses signicant challenges to interventions
targeting cyberbullying (Santre, 2022). As a result, research
on interventions for cyberbullying has become a focal point
for scholars.
Existing research has identied environmental factors
(such as positive parent-child relationships and school
Rui Gao and Hui Chen are co-rst authors.
Zhihui Yang
zhihuiyang2008@126.com
Rui Gao
gr201867@163.com
Hui Chen
chenhui1225@126.com
Rentao Zhang
tt1770295165@163.com
Wenwu Dai
dww6660720@126.com
Jingyuan Yang
yjyuann@163.com
1 Department of psychology, School of Humanities and Social
Sciences, Beijing Forestry University, No 35 Tsinghua East
Road, Haidian District, 100083 Beijing, P. R. China
Abstract
Cyberbullying is a prevalent issue among adolescents. Previous studies have primarily explored the protective eects of
the psychosocial factors on adolescent cyberbullying, neglecting the role and potential mechanisms of physical environ-
mental factors, such as nature connectedness. Based on self-determination theory, this research investigated the relation-
ship between both trait and state nature connectedness and adolescent cyberbullying, as well as the potential mediating
role of basic psychological needs. Study 1 used a questionnaire survey with 1110 adolescents as participants to explore the
association between trait nature connectedness and cyberbullying behavior and underlying mechanisms. Study 2 employed
an experimental approach with 73 adolescents as participants to investigate the relationship between state nature connect-
edness and cyberbullying intentions. The results of these two studies indicated that both trait nature connectedness and
state nature connectedness were negatively associated with adolescent cyberbullying. Moreover, basic psychological needs
were identied as a partial mediator in the relationship between trait nature connectedness and cyberbullying behavior,
while acting as a full mediator in the relationship between state nature connectedness and cyberbullying intentions. This
research contributed a theoretical foundation for expanding protective factors against adolescent cyberbullying and pro-
vided natural intervention strategies to address this issue.
Keywords Trait nature connectedness · State nature connectedness · Cyberbullying · Basic psychological needs · Self-
determination theory · Adolescents
Accepted: 11 November 2024 / Published online: 21 November 2024
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024
Nature as a Shield: exploring the link between trait and state
nature connectedness and adolescent cyberbullying based on self-
determination theory
RuiGao1· HuiChen1· RentaoZhang1· WenwuDai1· JingyuanYang1· ZhihuiYang1
1 3
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
... In other words, connectedness to nature enhances prosocial behavior while reducing aggression. Recent studies provide empirical support for this perspective, revealing that connectedness to nature negatively predicts cyberbullying, a typical form of aggressive behavior in online settings (Gao et al., 2024). ...
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