"Seeing the World as One": A New Tool to Measure Our Deepest Connection to Nature
What if the key to a more sustainable future lies not in policy or technology, but in how deeply we feel connected to the world around us? In a new paper led by Salomé Areias and co-authored by Antje Disterheft, João P. Gouveia (all from Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research & CHANGE—Global Change and Sustainability Institute, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, Portugal) and Daniel Fischer, we introduce the Oneness IAT, a novel psychological tool designed to measure a profound, often subconscious, sense of unity with nature and the universe.
While previous research has relied heavily on self-reported feelings of oneness, which are often critized for their inherent biases, the team led by Salomé Areias developed an Implicit Association Test (IAT) that captures automatic mental associations between “self” and “all things”. Drawing on insights from psychoanalysis and environmental psychology, the IAT measures response latency to oneness-related words, revealing deeper layers of connection that people may not even be aware of.
In two studies involving 123 participants, the test demonstrated strong reliability and validity, linking higher oneness scores to greater spirituality, religiousness, and pro-environmental attitudes. Though limitations remain, particularly the IAT’s binary structure and reliance on self-report for validation, the Oneness IAT opens new doors for sustainability science, offering a way to assess not just what people say they believe, but how deeply they feel the web of life.
Paper Abstract:
Oneness is described as a unifying dimension of all existence, reportedly experienced by various demographics as a transcendence of self and connection with the universe. Its relevance in psychology and sustainability science stems from its positive link to pro-environmental lifestyles, emphasizing the need for accurate assessment. Most studies rely solely on self-report methods, despite concerns about their suitability. Scholars suggest implicit measures to access automatically activated mental associations. This study develops and validates a new Implicit Association Test (IAT) designed to analyse response latency to oneness-related words. Guided by two experts and literature in psychoanalysis and environmental psychology, the IAT integrates implicit and explicit measures adapted from previous research. This exploratory study consists of two phases: Study 1 (n = 31) examines the reliability of the selected words, finding significant internal consistency and predicted IAT effects. Study 2 (n = 92) explores the psychometric properties of the same IAT, assessing criterion-related and construct validity. Correlation tests indicate significant positive relationships with prior oneness measures and related variables. A multiple regression analysis identifies significant links between IAT scores and gender, religiousness, and spirituality, corroborating previous findings. Limitations arise due to the binary structure of the IAT, which may constrain its ability to fully capture oneness. Reliance on self-report measures in psychometric properties validation raises concerns about their ability to reflect nonconscious associations. This study contributes to discussions on oneness categorization and assessment by introducing an IAT-based measurement applicable across multiple fields.
Bibliographic reference:
Areias, S., Disterheft, A., Gouveia, J. P., & Fischer, D. (2026). The oneness IAT as a new assessment tool for sustainability research. Discover Sustainability, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-026-02730-y
