Community gardening: Basic psychological needs as mechanisms to enhance individual and community well-being

Eleanor Quested, Cecilie Thøgersen-Ntoumani, Hannah Uren, Sarah J. Hardcastle, Richard M. Ryan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

Community gardens have been associated with a number of positive outcomes, including community and individual well-being. We used self-determination theory as a framework to interpret the social-psychological characteristics of community gardens that may determine their role in sustaining need satisfaction and well-being. Semistructured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 5 experienced community gardeners and 10 aspiring community gardeners. Data were analyzed via a framework approach to thematic analysis. Findings support the proposition that satisfaction of community-level needs may be the precursor to communities and individuals experiencing well-being, via experiences of participating in community gardens. Findings have implications for how community-based interventions could be optimized via targeted integration of theories of motivation and perspectives of well-being.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)173-180
Number of pages8
JournalEcopsychology
Volume10
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2018

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This study was funded by Curtin University, School of Psychology. No competing financial interests exist.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

Keywords

  • Community garden
  • Health
  • Needs
  • Self-determination theory
  • Wellbeing

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