Failure to morally self-regulate: deindividuation and moral disengagement from pro-environmental behavioural intentions across tourism and home contexts

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study extends current research on cross-contextual inconsistencies in pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) intentions. We compare the mechanisms influencing PEB intentions in tourism and post-visit home contexts. We find that moral obligation, moral disengagement, and perceived anonymity are consistently linked with PEB intentions in both contexts, but public self-awareness has a substantial impact on PEB intentions only during travel. While public self-awareness does not work consistently in relation to PEB intentions across tourism and home contexts, perceived anonymity has a consistently strong impact on moral disengagement and PEB intentions in both contexts. This study extends previous research on the contextual inconsistency of PEB intentions by elucidating the mechanisms by which deindividuation (anonymity and absence of public self-awareness) may limit PEB intentions through failure of moral self-regulation. This research also contributes to the literature on moral disengagement and deindividuation by demonstrating how the predictive effects of deindividuation components depend on the environment. Our findings will help practitioners and policymakers to devise effective, context-aware strategies to promote sustainable behaviours.