Saving Mr. Nature: Anthropomorphism enhances connectedness to and protectiveness toward nature

Nature is often anthropomorphized in the environmental discourse. However, whether anthropomorphism of nature has any impact on the way people relate to and behave toward nature has rarely been examined. With three experiments, the present research addresses this issue. It shows that in general anthropomorphism of nature fosters conservation behavior. Moreover, when nature is anthropomorphized, people feel more connected to it; this sense of connectedness mediates the association between anthropomorphism of nature and conservation behavior. These findings contribute to the understanding of anthropomorphism and that of human-nature relationship. They also bear practical implications for environmental promotion. Future research directions are identified.