Summary: An increasing number of people experience fear, discomfort, or disgust toward nature—a phenomenon known as biophobia. The findings reveal that negative emotions form through both external factors such as urban environments and media portrayals, and internal factors like health and emotional traits.
Limited contact with nature can reinforce avoidance, reducing exposure to well-known mental and physical health benefits. Researchers suggest that early positive experiences with nature and greener urban spaces may help reverse this growing trend.
Key Facts
- Biophobia Identified: Fear and discomfort toward nature are rising across age groups and cultures.
- Multiple Causes: Urbanization, media narratives, personal traits, and reduced exposure all contribute.
- Health Impact: Negative emotions toward nature limit well-being benefits and hinder conservation efforts.
Source: Lund University
Nature is a source of well-being and recovery for many people. However, research shows that there is also a growing number of individuals who experience negative emotions, such as fear, discomfort, or even disgust, toward nature. The phenomenon, called biophobia, is now highlighted in a new study from Lund University.
“Research has long assumed that people fundamentally feel positive emotions toward nature. We have examined the opposite, that is, when there is a negative relationship with nature, and gathered knowledge about how it arises, what consequences it has, and how it can be reversed,” says Johan Kjellberg Jensen, researcher at Lund University and lead author of the study.
The study summarises nearly 200 scientific articles from various research fields and is a systematic review. Research findings from around the world, including studies carried out in Sweden, Japan, and the US, have been compiled to provide a full picture of biophobia.
The results show that negative emotions are shaped by both external factors, such as our surroundings, exposure to nature, and media narratives, and internal factors, including health and emotional traits.
The researchers also see signs that our relationships with animals, plants, and nature more broadly, is deteriorating over time. According to Johan Kjellberg Jensen, a lack of contact with nature and limited knowledge about nature can reinforce each other in a negative spiral.
“Urbanisation combined with parents’ attitudes can increase negative feelings and perceived danger in nature among children – something which becomes particularly relevant as more and more children grow up in cities,” says Johan Kjellberg Jensen.
According to Jensen, contact with nature has well-documented health benefits, for example, reducing stress and improving school performance in children. The study shows that negative emotions can cause people to miss out on nature’s health benefits and also contribute to attitudes and behaviours that run counter to conservation and sustainability efforts. This may include an aversion to species that are, in fact, harmless or even beneficial to have in our proximity.
Johan Kjellberg Jensen hopes the overview will give biophobia a clearer position in research and contribute to solutions. He argues that an important step is increasing our exposure to nature, for example, by developing green spaces and strengthening biodiversity in cities, which can provide children with positive experiences with nature early in life.
“The phenomenon of biophobia is broad and requires a diverse toolkit. In some cases, it is about increasing knowledge and contact with nature; in others, it could be about reducing points of conflict between humans and nature. We need to understand the mechanisms behind the negative emotions better to reverse the trend,” Johan Kjellberg Jensen concludes.
Key Questions Answered:
A: Biophobia refers to negative emotions such as fear or discomfort toward nature, and it is rising due to urbanization, reduced exposure, and media portrayals that reinforce perceived danger.
A: People who avoid nature miss out on well-established benefits like stress reduction and improved cognitive functioning, and may also develop attitudes that work against conservation.
A: Increasing early positive nature experiences, creating greener urban environments, and improving ecological understanding can help counteract biophobia over time.
Editorial Notes:
- This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.
- Journal paper reviewed in full.
- Additional context added by our staff.
About this biophobia and psychology research news
Author: Lotte Billing
Source: Lund University
Contact: Lotte Billing – Lund University
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“Toward a unified understanding of people’s aversion to nature: biophobia” by Johan Kjellberg Jensen et al. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
Abstract
Toward a unified understanding of people’s aversion to nature: biophobia
Human–nature relationships are often framed positively, but research rarely addresses biophobia, the aversion to nature. However, negative relationships with nature are likely to become more widespread following societal and environmental changes, with serious implications for public health and conservation efforts.
Here, we performed a systematic review of 196 studies on biophobia, revealing a fragmentation of knowledge across disciplines, including environmental sciences, psychology, and social sciences. To unify this research, we introduce a cohesive framework summarizing the drivers and consequences of, as well as treatments for, biophobia.
Based on the current body of evidence, understanding changes in human–nature dynamics will require enhanced interdisciplinary collaboration, greater attention to cultural and regional differences, and longitudinal studies. In addition, we call for studies of biophobia that extend beyond animal species typically linked to fear or disgust.
Broadening the scope of such research will lead to greater appreciation of the full range of human–nature interactions—from affinity to aversion—and ultimately improve conservation strategies.
