Research has shown differences in pro-social and pro-environmental behaviors after exposure to different physical environments. In this within-subject design, we used repeated surveys to measure social and environmental thought content throughout one-hour environmental explorations of a nature conservatory and an indoor mall. At each survey, participants (N = 86, undergraduates and community members) reported whom they were thinking about and how connected they felt to the physical and social

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... vironment. Using Bayesian multi-level models, we found that while visiting the conservatory, participants were less likely to think about themselves, felt closer to people nearby and around the world, and felt higher connectedness to their social and physical environment. These differences persisted throughout the walk and were differentially affected by the number of people in the surrounding environment. This study furthers our understanding of the ways in which natural environments influence thoughts and feelings about the social and physical environment.