Viewing ourselves as nature
Holobiont literacy influences nature connectedness
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21408684 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jake M Robinson (0000-0001-8108-3271, Flinders University, corresponding author), Kate Robinson (0000-0003-0462-1296, Flinders University), Alexia Barrable (0000-0002-5352-8330, Queen Margaret University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-06 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | AMBIO (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0044-7447 • E-ISSN: 1654-7209 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s13280-026-02414-x |
| PMID | 42089950 |
| OpenAlex | W7160430872 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 40 |
The human holobiont concept—humans as symbiotic assemblages of a host and trillions of microbes—offers a compelling lens for understanding human–nature relationships. This study examined whether: (a) prior holobiont knowledge correlates with nature connectedness, (b) exposure to holobiont information influences nature connectedness and (c) people feel more or less connected to microbes than to other natural entities. Using a randomised, blinded online survey ( n = 190), participants were assigned to a holobiont treatment group ( n = 91) receiving multimedia information or a control group ( n = 99) receiving neutral content. Nature connectedness was measured before and after exposure. Results showed that prior holobiont knowledge was associated with higher nature connectedness, and, strikingly, that exposure to holobiont information significantly increased nature connectedness scores. No differences were found across nature types. These findings suggest that framing humans as holobionts may strengthen psychological connections to nature, with implications for environmental psychology, education and well-being
Globality · Holobiont · Literacy · Natural (archaeology) · Social connectedness · Sympathy · Animal and Plant Science Education · Spatial Cognition and Navigation · Urban Green Space and Health
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| Highly cited | No |
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