The Impact of Green Space Attendance on Social Orientation in Periods of Health Crisis

Human society has always been impacted by some sort of crisis from its very beginning onwards. This includes pandemics such as the COVID-19 crisis that we are currently facing. While pandemics have always existed, their number keeps increasing, and the explanation for this phenomenon partly lies in the environmental crisis we are currently experiencing. In this study, we highlight the potential of urban green spaces in the management of such societal crises. A lot of research shows the impact of nature exposure on pro-social attitudes and interpersonal relationships. An individual's social life is an essential factor when it comes to his resilience skills, especially in times of crisis. Feelings of awe and perceptions of beauty are two qualities of the natural environment that research documents to partially account for the effects of nature on human social behavior. However, we know that most people do not have access to “awe-inspiring” green spaces on a daily basis. Having access to the local urban park is often the only green space within walking distance for most individuals, especially in low-income districts. A survey was launched in April 2020 to better understand the characteristics of “daily urban green spaces” that can influence pro-social behaviour during a pandemic. This study examines the impact of green spaces attendance on social orientation according to the perceived beauty of these spaces and, considering the pandemic context, according to his attendance rate (if the place is sparsely or densely crowded). Indeed, it is legitimate to wonder if attending green spaces confers the same social benefits during a pandemic, when people are worried meeting and interacting with strangers given the increase infection risk this represents. We therefore suppose that there is a positive link between green areas and social orientation, but that this link only exists for places that are perceived as pleasant and little frequented. 1206 participants (972 female and 234 male, aged between 17 and 77 years, M = 28.74, SD = 12.87) were recruited through an online survey on social media. The survey started with a social orientation measure (the orientation slider measure - SVO; Murphy, Ackermann, & Handgraaf, 2011), asking participants to allocate points to themselves and to a hypothetical other. The real purpose of this measure was hidden from participants. Participants than answered measures to determine their perception of the most regularly visited green space during the lockdown. Different co-variates were also included. The results from this survey show that the more the use of green spaces increase, the more social orientation is also enhanced, but only in low crowded spaces (b = 0.059, t = 2.006, SE = 0.029, p = 0.045). Perceived beauty has no impact on the link between frequentation and social orientation. These results show the importance of multiplying green spaces in our cities in order to decongest the existing green areas, but also of thinking about their design and their location in the urban space, in order to reduce the feeling of overcrowding. This seems all the more important within underprivileged neighborhoods, which gather more vulnerable populations to the consequences of health, economic and social crises