Nature’s value associated with traditional worldviews: psychological validation of relational, intrinsic, and instrumental dimensions in Japan

Understanding how people perceive the value of nature is essential for protecting nature. Previous studies have proposed three types of nature’s value: instrumental, intrinsic, and relational. Relational value refers to the perceived appropriateness of the relationship individuals maintain with nature. Although relational values have been discussed in the context of traditional worldviews, empirical research examining the associations among the three types of nature's values and traditional beliefs remains limited. This study investigated the connections between perceptions of nature’s value and traditional religious-oriented worldviews, including animism and anthropocentrism. To explore whether the three types of nature’s value are applicable in a non-Western context, we conducted a preregistered online survey with 745 Japanese participants. Our findings indicate that (i) relational value is linked to traditional religious-oriented worldviews; (ii) relational value shows a strong association with scales measuring human-nature relationships; and (iii) the distinctions among instrumental, intrinsic, and relational values extend beyond Western contexts. These results support the conceptual and construct validity of the three types of nature’s value and offer deeper insights into the diverse ways individuals relate to nature.