This systematic literature review examines the relationship between Connectedness to Nature (CN) and Pro-Environmental Behaviors (PEBs). Considering the worsening climate change and the current climate emergency, pro-environmental behavior has gained significant attention in the literature. PEBs aim to minimize negative impacts and maximize positive impacts on the environment. Researchers have focused on the Connectedness to Nature as a potential driver of Pro-Environmental Behavior. However, there is no universally agreed definition of this construct, which can be understood as a profound connection with nature. The primary aim of this study is to investigate the existence of a relationship between Connectedness to Nature (CN) and Pro-Environmental Behaviors (PEBs). To determine if such a relationship be identified, this study further attempts to clarify its direction and assess the magnitude of this association. This literature review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). To identify relevant studies, we searched multiple academic databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, Sociological Abstracts, PsycArticles, PsycINFO, Science Direct, and Academic Search Complete. The search strategy involved the use of the keywords: “Connectedness to Nature” and “Pro-Environmental Behavior”. The search process yielded a total of 2280 records after the removal of duplicates. Among these, only 29 studies met the established inclusion criteria and were therefore selected for analysis. The findings reported in the reviewed literature consistently indicate the existence of a significant and positive relationship between Connectedness to Nature (CN) and Pro-Environmental Behaviors (PEBs), although this association appears to exhibit considerable variability across studies. Overall, individual Pro-Environmental Behaviors showed a stronger association with Connectedness to Nature (CN) compared to activism-related behaviors. The findings of this review highlight the potential value, for practitioners engaged in environmental protection, of promoting and enhancing individuals’ connectedness to the natural world. Strengthening CN may represent an effective strategy to foster Pro-Environmental Behaviors, particularly in relation to sustainable consumption practices and recycling activities.

This literature review aims to analyze studies published by researchers on the topic of the relationship between the psychological constructs of the Dark Triad and Cognitive Empathy. This study hypothesizes how having good cognitive empathic skills could benefit people who demonstrate Dark Triad traits, as this could facilitate the implementation of manipulative strategies. Through the process of identifying studies via databases and registers, 23 studies were included in this literature review, and the results and theories brought forward by the researchers find more agreement regarding the individual components of the Dark Triad than the whole construct: narcissism seems to have, for the most part, relatively small and typical positive correlations (more than 50% of correlations), Machiavellianism has relatively small and typical negative relationships (about 80% of correlations), and psychopathy has relatively large negative relationships (about 90% of correlations). This study conveys that Machiavellians and psychopaths, having reduced empathic abilities, use manipulation techniques that do not have to do with empathy (for example seduction, intimidation etc.), while narcissists would be, among these three dimensions, those most likely to understand others’ states of mind and thus be able to use this knowledge to their advantage—although there are doubts about the veracity of the statements and answers given by narcissists in the tests administered to them. This literature review could be a valid aid to professionals dealing with people who exhibit Dark Triad traits; understanding how those exhibiting Dark Triad traits manage their empathic abilities, the areas in which the various dimensions show deficits or not, and how they act to implement their manipulative and controlling tactics could aid in the development of more effective helping strategies to be utilized in therapy settings.

Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is characterized by an intense avoidance of foods considered unhealthy, obsession with healthy eating behaviors, and pathological fixation on healthy foods. Although there are still debates in the literature about the psychological factors and symptoms of ON, it should be noted that many of the symptoms share common features with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between ON and OCD with its subtypes. In this framework, the cross-sectional study was conducted with an opportunistic sample of 587 participants (86% women and 14% men), with an average age of 29.32 (s.d. = 11.29; age range = 15–74). Our work showed that almost all OCD subtypes were largely correlated with ON. The lowest correlation was for “Checking” and the highest for “Obsession”. Overall, the OCD subtypes (i.e., Indecisiveness, Just Right, Obsession, and Hoarding) were more strongly associated with ON measures, while subtypes Checking and Contamination, although positively associated, had lower correlation coefficients.

High environmental sensitivity, known as sensory processing sensitivity, characterizes certain individuals, causing them to perceive and react intensely to external stimuli. Individuals with sensory processing sensitivity, referred to as highly sensitive people (HPSs), exhibit heightened emotional reactivity and empathy, alongside a profound aesthetic sensitivity and a unique connection to nature. This trait can lead to both advantages and challenges, including increased vulnerability to sensory overload. This correlation study explored the hypothesis that highly sensitive people could be more sensitive to natural stimuli, leading to a stronger environmental identity, a higher level of eco-anxiety, and more pronounced pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. Data collection involved 501 Italian citizens (65.1% women; M age = 27.69 years; SD = 10.54). This study found positive correlations (between 0.20 and 0.47) between high sensitivity and environmental attitudes (e.g., New Ecological Paradigm and Climate Change Attitude Survey dimensions), identity aspects (e.g., connectedness to nature), behavioral aspects (e.g., pro-environmental behaviors), and eco-anxiety, suggesting that the highly sensitive person trait might be related to a stronger environmental identity, higher levels of eco-anxiety, and more pronounced pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. However, some exceptions were identified: ease of excitation and low sensory threshold were not significantly correlated with conservation behaviors and environmental citizenship, while aesthetic sensitivity was consistently associated with pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs). Additionally, the low sensory threshold dimension appears to have a low association with attitudinal aspects measured by the Climate Change Attitude Survey. This suggests the complexity of sensory processing sensitivity and its nuanced impact on environmental dynamics. The findings emphasize the need for future research to explore the implicit dimensions of environmental attitudes and the emotional responses of HSPs to climate change. Practical recommendations include tailoring environmental education and policy strategies to address the unique emotional sensitivities of HSPs, fostering stronger engagement in pro-environmental actions.

The climate emergency is increasingly looming, and its consequences on nature and human systems are increasingly severe and pervasive, as reported by the world’s leading conferences and organizations on the subject. There appears to be an immediate need to adopt more sustainable behaviors in order to stem consequences that are becoming increasingly dramatic. In this regard, environmental psychology and other related disciplines have sought and still seek to understand how to translate the environmental concerns of individuals and communities into effective and efficient conservation and protection actions to contain the emergency and avoid further consequences. The contribution of psychological theories, particularly the transtheoretical model of change and the planned behavior model, appears very promising for assessing and promoting the potential for activation toward sustainability. The aim of this study was to develop a new conceptualization of the psychological construct of readiness to change (RtC) applied to sustainability issues and validated internally and externally through two separate studies (N1 = 228, N2 = 713). The sample for the two studies was recruited by distributing an anonymous online survey. For Study 1, we administered an online survey investigating basic sociodemographic characteristics and the preliminary set of 42 items of the readiness to change scale. For Study 2, the survey was composed of the following tools: a sociodemographic form, the readiness to change scale, a connectedness to nature scale, a climate change attitude survey, consumers’ perceived readiness toward green products, and a pro-environmental behaviors scale. Through exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, 29 items were selected from an initial set of 42. The 29 items were divided and organized into seven factors (namely: perceived importance of the problem/change, motivation, self-efficacy, effectiveness of the proposed solution, social support, action and involvement, and perceived readiness). Each factor showed adequate reliability (McDonald’s ω range: 0.74–0.87). Regarding external validity, the scale showed correlations—with typical to large effect sizes—with pro-environmental identity, green attitudes, sustainable intentions, and pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) (i.e., conservation, environmental citizenship, food, transportation). Given the results obtained, we can say that the scale we constructed can infer the individual’s propensity to enact PEBs, and consequently it can give input to the implementation of interventions aimed at stimulating RtC and, therefore, sustainable behaviors. In conclusion, the scale appears valid and usable for assessing the activation potential of both individuals but also at the group and community levels—the latter factor being an important contribution to scientific research, since most of the instruments used to date fail to estimate this aspect.

The challenges associated with climate change have led to the need for pro-environmental behaviors, including the consumption of sustainable novel foods. Despite the importance of sustainable food for the environment, there is still a need to further investigate the psychological determinants of consumer behavior change putatively able to promote the use of novel foods. In line with this, the aim of the present study was to investigate the role of readiness to change (RTC) in shaping the intention to consume sustainable foods (e.g., chia seeds and edible insects). RTC refers to a valuable construct composed of seven different dimensions, namely perceived importance of the problem/change, motivation, self-efficacy, effectiveness of proposed solution, social support, action and involvement, and perceived readiness. In keeping with this, a cross-sectional study was conducted by collecting from 1252 participants through an online and anonymous survey. In line with the aim above, a linear discriminant analysis was performed to explore potential non-linear relationships between RTC and novel food consumption. The results highlighted certain RTC dimensions (e.g., perceived importance of the problem, action, and self-efficacy) able to positively support the intention to consume novel foods (e.g., chia seeds and spirulina algae). In conclusion, the study pointed out evidence regarding psychological determinants in terms of RTC able to improve sustainable behaviors, namely the use of novel foods. In the context of sustainability, the present study represents a groundwork for the implementation of future studies in this field of research as well as the development of future policies aimed at promoting awareness and encouraging the adoption of sustainable eating behaviors.