Anthropomorphising nature in times of crisis: A serial mediation model from connectedness to nature via anthropomorphism on support for COVID-19 travel restrictions()

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in widespread travel restrictions to reduce the spread of the virus. It is therefore necessary to understand factors that lead to support for these imposed travel restrictions. Given the reduced environmental impact (e.g., reduced pollution) resulting from travel restrictions, these restrictions can be viewed through a pro-environmental lens. This study aimed to examine the influence of the well-supported predictor of pro-environmental behaviour, connectedness to nature, on support for COVID-19 travel restrictions. To understand why connectedness to nature may predict support for travel restrictions, mediators of this relationship were examined. Anthropomorphism of nature is reasoned to accompany connectedness to nature, and can involve anthropomorphism in various forms (i.e., generalised, and context-specific anthropomorphism). This study (N=270) examined a mediation model whereby anthropomorphism of nature (general) and anthropomorphism of nature in COVID-19 (context-specific) were serial mediators of the relationship between connectedness to nature and support for travel restrictions. Individual pathways of the model were significant, as were the indirect effects, providing support for the serial mediation model, with these predictors accounting for 13% of the variance in support for COVID-19 travel restrictions. Implications of this research are discussed and include promotion of connectedness to nature as well as considering anthropomorphic message framing.