Wildnis erleben - Eine umweltpsychologische Perspektive

What wilderness is and whether and how we want to preserve and promote wilderness is an ongoing, interdisciplinary debate. From a natural science perspective, wilderness refers to large areas without human influence where nature is left to its own devices. The humanities and social science perspective, on the other hand, emphasises the necessity and benefits of wilderness for people, for example to strengthen their connection with nature, promote environmental protection and sustainability or contribute to recreation and health.
In order to resolve this conceptual contradiction, wilderness is defined as a psychological construct of perceived "wildernessness". Using the example of the recreational function, this approach is both theoretically derived and empirically analysed in a field study in the Black Forest National Park. Recommendations are formulated as to how the experience of wilderness can be promoted and it is shown which research gaps should be closed in order to develop a more holistic understanding of wilderness.