Abstract
Abstract
Gaining meaning from nature contact can promote subjective well‐being. However, few studies have validated the effectiveness of nature‐based meaning interventions in enhancing subjective well‐being. This study consisted of a 7‐day online intervention to examine the effects of nature‐based meaning‐focused photography on well‐being by comparing a photo‐only group, a photo + writing group, and a waiting list control group and how meaning in life mediates the relationship between nature contact and well‐being. A pre‐registered three‐arm randomized controlled trial (groups: photo + writing group vs. photo‐only group vs. control group) * (time: pre‐test vs. post‐test vs. 1‐month follow‐up) was conducted with 219 college students. In the photo + writing group, participants captured nature scenes and wrote 100‐word reflections. The photo‐only group only took nature photos. The primary outcomes were meaning in life and well‐being, and the secondary outcome was life satisfaction. A conservative Bayesian causal forest analysis based on machine learning was used to detect both treatment and heterogeneous intervention effects. Compared with the control group, the photo + writing group showed positive effects on meaning in life, subjective well‐being, and life satisfaction, with average treatment effects of 0.36, 0.27, and 0.66 standard deviations (SD), respectively. The photo‐only group also showed generally positive effects on these outcomes, with average treatment effects of 0.27, 0.24, and 0.54 SD, respectively. However, these effects were not sustained after 1 month. The intervention was especially beneficial for participants from lower subjective socioeconomic status, with limited prior nature exposure, or lower baseline psychological well‐being. Importantly, enhanced meaning in life helped explain how the intervention improved well‐being and life satisfaction. This study also demonstrated that combining nature‐based photography and reflective writing can improve well‐being.