Beyond the place: Attachment to a place reduces generalized social avoidance

Social avoidance is a prevalent mental health problem. While most previous studies have predominantly focused on interpersonal interventions, these approaches often face challenges. An alternative may lie in considering environmental factors. Based on the internal working model, we propose that attachment to a personally significant place may help reduce social avoidance in general contexts. We conducted three studies employing different methodologies to examine this effect, while also exploring the mediating roles of social connectedness and nature connectedness. Study 1 ( N = 1,307) used two-wave questionnaire surveys to explore the relationships among the variables. Study 2a ( N = 224) and Study 2b ( N = 239) applied recalling and imagination paradigms to manipulate place attachment and measured social avoidance as the outcome variable. The results showed that attachment to a significant place can reduce social avoidance by fostering both social connectedness and nature connectedness. Notably, the indirect effect of social connectedness was stronger than that of nature connectedness. These findings suggest that activating place attachment can enhance individuals’ connections with both society and nature, thereby reducing social avoidance in general contexts. This research provides insights into the internal working model of place attachment and the development of intervention strategies aiming at social avoidance.