Holli-Anne Passmore

Academic Interests

Well-Being
Nature:  experiences in everyday nature, nature connectedness
Meaning in Life
Positive Psychology
Existential Psychology

Research and Interests

My research focuses broadly on well-being with two main streams—nature and meaning in life. Collaborating with colleagues and students from around the globe, I am working on a number of well-being-based research endeavours. The primary focus of my work is the development and validation of practical interventions to enhance well-being through noticing and engaging with everyday nature close to home. Additionally, I am studying the emerging issue of eco-anxiety. Within the meaning stream of my research, I examine pathways that lead to greater meaning in life – including embarking on a new line of research examining how play adds meaning to life for adults. I support open-science research practices, open-source textbooks and teaching practices, and open-source software. I am an Editor of the International Journal of Wellbeing, Science Chair of the Spirituality & Meaning Division of the International Positive Psychology Association, an invited academic with the Global Wellbeing Initiative, and a co-developer of the free online course on Nature Connectedness out of the University of Derby. My friends, students, and colleagues know me as “H!A!”, reflecting my enthusiasm and passion about my research and teaching.

For further information on Dr. Passmore, her research lab, publications, & teaching: https://nmil.ca/

Courses Taught

PSY 104 – Basic Psychological Processes
PSY 335 – Positive Psychology / Science of Well-being
PSY 340 – Emotions and Behaviour
PSY 341 – Social Psychology
PSY 406 – Special Topics in Psychology: Language and Culture
PSY 408 – Special Topics in Psychology: Nature and Well-being

Research Lab

Nature—Meaning in Life Lab (Nature—MILL)

I am open to collaborating with and supervising students.  If you are interested, please do email me.

Publications, Presentations, Media Interviews

Peer-Reviewed Articles

• Passmore, H.-A., *Yargeau, A., *Blench, J. (2022). Wellbeing in winter: Testing the Noticing Nature Intervention during winter months. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.840273

• Passmore, H.-A., Yang, Y., & *Sabine, S. (2022). An extended replication study of the well-being intervention, the Noticing Nature Intervention (NNI). Journal of Happiness Studies, 23(6), 2663-2683. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-022-00516-3

• Passmore, H.-A., *Lutz, P. K., & Howell, A. J. (2022). Eco-anxiety: A cascade of fundamental existential anxieties. Journal of Constructivist Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/10720537.2022.2068706

• Passmore, H.-A., Martin, L., Richardson, M., White, M., Hunt, A., & Pahl, S. (2021). Parental/guardians’ connection to nature better predicts children’s nature connectedness than visits or area-level characteristics. Ecopsychology.

• Richardson, M., Passmore, H-A., Lumber, R., Thomas, R., & Hunt, A. (2021). Moments, not minutes: The nature-wellbeing relationship. International Journal of Wellbeing, 11(1), 8-33. https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.

• Yang, Y., Wang, L., Passmore, H.-A., Zhang, J., & Zhu, L. (2021) Viewing nature scenes helps reduce the pain of social ostracism. Journal of Social Psychology, 161(2), 197-215. https://doi.org/10.1080/

• Lambert, L., Lomas, T., van de Weijer, M., Passmore, H.-A., Joshanloo, M., Harter, J., … Deiner, E. (2020). A (new) global wellbeing measure: Because the world is ready. International Journal of Wellbeing, 10(2), 1-18. doi:10.5502/ijw.110i2.1037

• Passmore, H.-A., Howell, A. J., & Holder, M. D. (2018). Positioning implicit theories of well-being within a positivity framework. Journal of Happiness Studies, 19, 2445-2463.

• Capaldi, C. A., Passmore, H.-A., Ishii, R., Chistopolskaya, K. A., Vowinckel, J., Nikolaev, E. L., & Semikin, G. I. (2017). Engaging with natural beauty may be related to well-being because it connects people to nature: Evidence from three cultures. Ecopsychology, 9, 199-211.

• Passmore, H.-A., & Holder. M. D. (2017) Noticing nature: Individual and social benefits of a two-week intervention. Journal of Positive Psychology, 12, 537-546.

• Capaldi, C. A., Passmore, H.-A., Nisbet, E. K., Zelenski, J. M., & Dopko, R. L. (2015). Flourishing in nature: A review of the well-being benefits of connecting with nature and its application as a positive psychology intervention. International Journal of Wellbeing, 5, 1-16.

• Lambert, L., Passmore, H.-A., & Holder, M. D. (2015). Foundational frameworks of positive psychology: Mapping well-being orientations. Canadian Psychology – Special Issue on Positive Psychology, 56, 311-321.

• Passmore, H.-A., & Howell, A. J. (2014). Nature involvement increases hedonic and eudaimonic well-being: A two-week experimental study. Ecopsychology, 6, 148-154.

• Passmore, H.-A., & Howell, A. J. (2014). Eco-Existential Positive Psychology: How experiences in nature can address our existential anxieties and contribute to well-being. The Humanistic Psychologist, 42, 370-388.

• Howell, A. J., Passmore, H.-A., & Buro, K. (2013). Meaning in nature: Meaning in life as a mediator of the relationship between nature connectedness and well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 14, 1681-1696.

• Howell, A. J., Dopko, R. L., Passmore, H.-A., & Buro, K. (2011). Nature connectedness: Associations with well-being and mindfulness. Personality and Individual Differences, 51, 166-171.

Book Chapters (* denotes student under my supervision)

• *Geddes, O., & Passmore, H.-A. (invited chapter, submitted. in press due 2020). Green exercise: Actively flourishing in nature.

• *Hunt, J. T., Howell, A. J., & Passmore, H.-A. (invited chapter, submitted, in press due 2020). In vivo nature exposure as a positive psychological intervention: A review of the impact of nature interventions on well-being.

• *Lutz, P. K., & Passmore, H.-A. (2019). Repercussions of individual and societal valuing of happiness. In In L. Lambert & N. Pasha-Zaidi (Eds.), Positive psychology in the Middle East / North Africa: Research, policy, and practice (pp. 363-390). Springer.

• Passmore, H.-A., & Howell, A. J. (2016). Seeds of hope. In Leo Bormans (Ed.), The World Book of Hope. Lannoo Publishers.

• Howell, A. J., Keyes, C. L.M., & Passmore, H.-A. (2013). Flourishing among children and adolescents: Structure and correlates of positive mental health, and interventions for its enhancement. In P. Alex Linley & C. Proctor (Eds.), Positive psychology: Research, applications and interventions for children and adolescents (pp. 59-80). Springer.

• Howell, A. J., & Passmore, H.-A. (2013). The nature of happiness: Nature affiliation and mental well-being. In C. L. M. Keyes (Ed.), Mental well-being: International contributions to the study of positive mental health (pp. 231-257). Springer.

Please see Dr. Passmore’s website for publications, media interviews, etc.
https://nmil.ca