Back to Nature: The Relationship Between Nature Relatedness on Empathy and Narcissism in the Millennial Generation

Researchers suggest that the current generation of college students, who fall within the broader generational group known as “Millennials,” demonstrate lower levels of empathy, higher levels of narcissism, increased use of technology, and decreased time spent outdoors, which may impact the overall functioning of these individuals. This correlational design study of 140 undergraduates explores the relationship between the constructs of empathy, narcissism, and nature relatedness among the Millennial generation. Data analysis suggests that there is a statistically significant relationship between nature relatedness and empathy, which offers an empirical rationale for the use of community-based and nature- oriented approaches among clinical mental health counselors who work with Millennials.