Exploring the use of nature for emotion regulation: Associations with personality, perceived stress, and restorative outcomes

The purpose of this study was to assess associations among personality constructs, the use of nature for emotion regulation, and restoration outcomes. Visitors (N = 142) to two popular wilderness or natural areas in Norway received a questionnaire. The participants reported on their use of nature for emotion regulation, personality, stress, and restorative outcomes from their exposure to nature. The results showed that self-reported positive and negative emotion regulation in nature was related to restorative outcomes of the exposure to nature, and that emotion regulation could predict restorative outcomes. The results also demonstrated that the regulation of negative emotion in nature was related to perceived stress and neuroticism. This study also developed an alternative scale to measure restoration based on “willpower.” This “ego restoration” scale correlated with other measures of restorative outcomes. Individuals with higher levels of stress and higher scores on neuroticism reported higher levels of ego restoration. The relation between neuroticism and ego restoration was mediated by emotion regulation.