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Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Disconnected from complexity: on nature exposure, sociality, and the self-organizing self
New Ideas in Psychology, Vol.79, pp.1-6
2025
Appears in UniSC Supported Open Access Outputs
Abstract
Connectedness to nature and connectedness in interpersonal relationships have both been shown to support human cognitive functioning as well as feelings of self-efficacy, well-being, and personal meaning. As modern urban lifestyles and digital-first sociality isolate us from natural environments and face-to-face connections, there is an associated reduction in these psychological markers of flourishing. One underexplored mechanism for this association is the way that built environments and digital social lives isolate us from appropriately challenging and perspective-shifting chance events and disorder which may be beneficial to our cognitive processes. This paper uses the lens of complexity science and self-organization to examine natural and social disconnection as disconnection from cognitively constructive complexity. It compares findings from multiple disciplines to propose that while built environments and digital isolation protect us from physical and social risks associated with chaotic systems, they also remove us from exposure to beneficial cognitive turbulences which may support positive perceptual shifts, psychological well-being, and meaningful self-expansion. Implications of this conceptualization for future research are also proposed.
Details
- Title
- Disconnected from complexity: on nature exposure, sociality, and the self-organizing self
- Authors
- Taylor Berrett (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and Society
- Publication details
- New Ideas in Psychology, Vol.79, pp.1-6
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2025.101182
- ISSN
- 1873-3522; 0732-118X
- Copyright note
- © 2025 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Data Availability
- No data was used for the research described in the article.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Business and Creative Industries; School of Law and Society
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991144339602621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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