Abstract
The aim of this thesis is to broaden the understanding of the connection between well-being and nature by taking a closer look to a group of nature enthusiasts, bird ringers, and studying their motives, favorite places and the ways of spending time in nature. The focus of this thesis was especially on the meaning and importance that was given to different ways of spending time in nature, and the connection between nature exposure and certain aspects of well-being: life satisfaction, positive and negative affect and perceived health.
It was assumed that theories explaining restorative and well-being effects of nature exposure, Attention Restoration Theory (ART) and Stress Reduction Theory (SRT) would cover most but not all aspects of the connection between nature exposure and well-being of active nature enthusiasts like bird ringers. It was further assumed that Self-determination Theory and certain theories about the essence of well-being and happiness would be beneficial in gaining a deeper undestanding of the role that goal-driven behavior and personal nature experiences have in the whole of nature enthusiasts’ well-being. In the light of before mentioned theoretical background certain assumptions were made: first, that time spent in nature in bird ringing activities or in other kind of activities would have positive connection to wellbeing and this connection would be mediated by restorative experiences of nature exposure; second, that compentence, autonomy and connection would be brought forward in bird ringers’ narratives as essential positive elements of ringing activities; and third, that ringing activities would produce a rich array of enjoyable and meaningful experiences.
A multi-method study was designed to gather data in two major steps, first with a questionnaire sent to all ringers (n = 693) and then with in-depth interviews. An e-link for the questionnaire was sent with an informational e-mail in co-operation with the Ringing centre in November 2015. Questionnaire was sent in a paper-form in traditional mail for a small group of ringers (n = 26) who had not stated their e-mail address in Ringing centre’s register. Almost all questionnaire data was gathered in November 2015. Some individual questionnaires were still returned in spring 2016, making the over-all response-rate 36,2 % (n = 251).
Data was further gathered by making in-depth interviews with 5 ringers recommended or in other ways highly appreciated by the ringing community. Interviews were made in different seasons during a one-year period in 2016 and 2017, and meeting 2 to 4 times with each ringer. Altogether 18 interviews took place in different settings chosen by the interviewee, creating approximately 18 hours of transcribed interview data. During and around the interview sessions researcher visited some favorite places of the interviewees, participated and observed their ringing activities and took part in one national and one local ringing meeting. While doing the interviews the researcher witnessed some of the richness of different nature settings where ringing activities take place like bird observatories, waterfronts, forests and home yards, to name just a few.
Analysing the data gained by different methods produced both complementing and conflicting results of how ringers’ well-being and nature exposure are connected. In contrast to what had been assumed, the yearly amount of time spent in ringing activities in nature settings showed no statistical connection to well-being in questionnaire data. However, the description of ringing activities in interviews contained many different kinds of positive, meaningful and satisfactory experiences. Statistical analysis revealed that versatile nature activities (exercising, berry picking, backpacking etc. either alone or with others) were positively connected to life satisfaction, positive affect and perceived health. The positive connection between versatile nature activities and life satisfaction was partly mediated by restoration experienced in nature.
It came as a surprise that the importance of spending time in old forests and other kinds of wild natural settings, appreciating their untamed athmosphere and feeling connected to nature was in positive statistical connection with negative affect. This connection may be explained by the importance of having a possibility to retreat oneself in peaceful nature setting when burdened with negative thoughts. Another explanation to the connection between nature appreciation and negative affect would be that a nature enthusiast may readily notice and grieve upon nature’s distress.
The restorative elements of nature were often mentioned in ringers’ comments and narratives. Fascination in nature and many pleasurable sensing experiences were described to be frequent elements of ringing activities. While mental restoration was readily recognised, physiological restoration in nature seemed to be unimportant, ignored and even impossible for ringers. Ringing activities were described as exhausting, exciting and even dangerous at times. Ringing community came across as an important resource and, at times, even as the most central element of the ringing activity. Sharing the exciting expriences with the like-minded inspired the ringers to take part in national and local meetings, and to share their successes and misadventures through different kinds of media. Facing challenging endeavours and putting ones’ ringing skills in test time after time produced recurrent flow experiences.
The results reflect the multidimensional concept of well-being and the challenges with respect to capturing the essential elements. Judging ones’ life satisfaction with general claims while completing a questionnaire by oneself is a different cognitive and social process than explaining your views with your own words to an interested person. The interviewed ringers found it difficult to imagine their life without being able to ring the birds. Spending time in ringing activities was connected to many positive things in their lives. Even when ringing appeared to be of central importance, the evaluation of good and bad things of the by-gone year were based on the quality of family life, state of health and work situation. Spending leisure time in meaningful nature activities seems to be just one small piece in the large puzzle of well-being.
It was assumed that theories explaining restorative and well-being effects of nature exposure, Attention Restoration Theory (ART) and Stress Reduction Theory (SRT) would cover most but not all aspects of the connection between nature exposure and well-being of active nature enthusiasts like bird ringers. It was further assumed that Self-determination Theory and certain theories about the essence of well-being and happiness would be beneficial in gaining a deeper undestanding of the role that goal-driven behavior and personal nature experiences have in the whole of nature enthusiasts’ well-being. In the light of before mentioned theoretical background certain assumptions were made: first, that time spent in nature in bird ringing activities or in other kind of activities would have positive connection to wellbeing and this connection would be mediated by restorative experiences of nature exposure; second, that compentence, autonomy and connection would be brought forward in bird ringers’ narratives as essential positive elements of ringing activities; and third, that ringing activities would produce a rich array of enjoyable and meaningful experiences.
A multi-method study was designed to gather data in two major steps, first with a questionnaire sent to all ringers (n = 693) and then with in-depth interviews. An e-link for the questionnaire was sent with an informational e-mail in co-operation with the Ringing centre in November 2015. Questionnaire was sent in a paper-form in traditional mail for a small group of ringers (n = 26) who had not stated their e-mail address in Ringing centre’s register. Almost all questionnaire data was gathered in November 2015. Some individual questionnaires were still returned in spring 2016, making the over-all response-rate 36,2 % (n = 251).
Data was further gathered by making in-depth interviews with 5 ringers recommended or in other ways highly appreciated by the ringing community. Interviews were made in different seasons during a one-year period in 2016 and 2017, and meeting 2 to 4 times with each ringer. Altogether 18 interviews took place in different settings chosen by the interviewee, creating approximately 18 hours of transcribed interview data. During and around the interview sessions researcher visited some favorite places of the interviewees, participated and observed their ringing activities and took part in one national and one local ringing meeting. While doing the interviews the researcher witnessed some of the richness of different nature settings where ringing activities take place like bird observatories, waterfronts, forests and home yards, to name just a few.
Analysing the data gained by different methods produced both complementing and conflicting results of how ringers’ well-being and nature exposure are connected. In contrast to what had been assumed, the yearly amount of time spent in ringing activities in nature settings showed no statistical connection to well-being in questionnaire data. However, the description of ringing activities in interviews contained many different kinds of positive, meaningful and satisfactory experiences. Statistical analysis revealed that versatile nature activities (exercising, berry picking, backpacking etc. either alone or with others) were positively connected to life satisfaction, positive affect and perceived health. The positive connection between versatile nature activities and life satisfaction was partly mediated by restoration experienced in nature.
It came as a surprise that the importance of spending time in old forests and other kinds of wild natural settings, appreciating their untamed athmosphere and feeling connected to nature was in positive statistical connection with negative affect. This connection may be explained by the importance of having a possibility to retreat oneself in peaceful nature setting when burdened with negative thoughts. Another explanation to the connection between nature appreciation and negative affect would be that a nature enthusiast may readily notice and grieve upon nature’s distress.
The restorative elements of nature were often mentioned in ringers’ comments and narratives. Fascination in nature and many pleasurable sensing experiences were described to be frequent elements of ringing activities. While mental restoration was readily recognised, physiological restoration in nature seemed to be unimportant, ignored and even impossible for ringers. Ringing activities were described as exhausting, exciting and even dangerous at times. Ringing community came across as an important resource and, at times, even as the most central element of the ringing activity. Sharing the exciting expriences with the like-minded inspired the ringers to take part in national and local meetings, and to share their successes and misadventures through different kinds of media. Facing challenging endeavours and putting ones’ ringing skills in test time after time produced recurrent flow experiences.
The results reflect the multidimensional concept of well-being and the challenges with respect to capturing the essential elements. Judging ones’ life satisfaction with general claims while completing a questionnaire by oneself is a different cognitive and social process than explaining your views with your own words to an interested person. The interviewed ringers found it difficult to imagine their life without being able to ring the birds. Spending time in ringing activities was connected to many positive things in their lives. Even when ringing appeared to be of central importance, the evaluation of good and bad things of the by-gone year were based on the quality of family life, state of health and work situation. Spending leisure time in meaningful nature activities seems to be just one small piece in the large puzzle of well-being.
| Original language | Finnish |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | Tampere |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-952-03-2383-7 |
| Publication status | Published - 2022 |
| Publication type | G4 Doctoral dissertation (monograph) |
Publication series
| Name | Tampere University Dissertations - Tampereen yliopiston väitöskirjat |
|---|---|
| Volume | 593 |
| ISSN (Print) | 2489-9860 |
| ISSN (Electronic) | 2490-0028 |
