Pro-environmental Behavior Research Articles

A Typology of Pro-Environmental Behaviors: Demographic Correlates and Reasons for Limited Public Engagement in Pro-Environmental Behaviors

A Typology of Pro-Environmental Behaviors: Demographic Correlates and Reasons for Limited Public Engagement in Pro-Environmental Behaviors

Exploring the role of identity in pro-environmental behavior: cultural and educational influences on younger generations.

It is of paramount importance to gain an understanding of pro-environmental behavior if we are to successfully tackle the climate crisis. The existing body of research provides evidence that identity influences pro-environmental behavior. However, such research is often over-generalised and researchers are challenged to conduct robust analyses with regard to specific local, cultural and educational factors. The present study aims to investigate whether personal or social identity has a distinct effect on three different dimensions of pro-environmental behavior, using the principles of self-categorisation theory. Additionally, the study seeks to determine whether one of these two factors, the individual or the social factor, is predominant over the other. The study group consisted of cooperative students in Germany, typically a group with high professional ambitions. The data was collected in a cross-sectional survey with a total of 568 cooperative students from academic disciplines in engineering and economics. The reliability of the scales is satisfactory (ω = 0.76-0.88), and the hypotheses are tested by estimating structural equation models. Our research demonstrates that while social identity exerts a stronger influence on activist behavior than personal identity, personal identity has a more pronounced effect on consumer behavior than social identity. Nevertheless, no general statement can be made regarding the relative strength of the effects of personal and social identity on pro-environmental behavior dimensions.

Predicting Pro-Environmental Behaviours in the Public Sphere: Comparing the Influence of Social Anxiety, Self-Efficacy, Global Warming Awareness and the NEP

Environmental sustainability depends highly on our ability to identify the determinants of various types of pro-environmental behaviours (PEBs). However, so far, public sphere pro-environmental behaviours (PBS-PEBs) have received little attention in the scientific literature. This paper aims thus to fill this gap by exploring the role of dispositional (i.e., social anxiety and self-efficacy) and social psychological factors (i.e., environmental concern and global warming awareness) in the prediction of PBS-PEBs. An online questionnaire, including measures of these factors, was administered to residents (N = 199) of various Italian cities. The results indicated that (1) dispositional social anxiety (but not self-efficacy) directly (and negatively) predicts PBS-PEBs and that its effect is comparable to that of the social psychological factors considered (environmental concern and global warming awareness); (2) global warming awareness (positively) predicts PBS-PEBs directly, while (3) environmental concern, measured through the NEP scale, does it indirectly. Implications of the results for modelling the role of dispositional anxiety, environmental concern and global warming awareness in studies on PBS-PEBs are briefly outlined.

The effects of resident-tourist interaction quality on residents’ pro-environmental behaviour through improved relationships: a combination of symmetric and asymmetric analysis

Cultivating residents’ pro-environmental behaviours (PEBs) is crucial for tourism destinations to promote sustainable development. While residents’ PEBs has become a popular area of research, limited consideration has been given to whether and how interactions between residents and tourists influence residents’ PEBs, leaving this research domain underexplored. Based on self-determination theory and complexity theory, this research explores how social antecedents affect residents’ PEBs by conducting Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) analyses. An empirical survey was conducted among 535 residents of the West Lake Scenic Area, a major tourism destination in China. The PLS-SEM results demonstrated that high-quality resident-tourist interaction facilitated residents’ closeness with tourists and their attachment to the destination, which, in turn, contributed to residents’ active engagement in PEBs. The results from fsQCA indicated that relying exclusively on PLS-SEM may be insufficient for achieving a comprehensive understanding of the proposed research model. According to fsQCA, this study identified 11 distinct solutions that sufficiently explain high levels of residents’ PEBs, demonstrating how various antecedents work in unison to facilitate residents’ PEBs. This research concluded by proposing theoretical and practical implications of facilitating residents’ PEBs.

Towards green hospitality: exploring the consumer perceived value of pro-environmental star-graded accommodation

PurposeThis paper explores the effect of pro-environmental measures and green behaviour of star-graded accommodation establishments on the consumer perceived value that domestic tourists associate with them. From our study’s perspective, value creation via green hospitality may promote more responsible and environmentally friendly consumptive behaviour amongst domestic tourists.Design/methodology/approachDesigned as a cross-sectional deductive study, data were generated from an online panel sample of 440 South African domestic tourists. The hypotheses were tested using SmartPLS 4 via partial least squares–structural equation modelling. Further, multi-group analysis assessed and exposed gender-based differences.FindingsThe findings imply that green hospitality positively influences the value perceptions of tourists. More in-depth analyses indicate gender-based heterogeneity in the effect of green hospitality aspects on consumer perceived values. Our findings establish pro-environmentalism within the accommodation sector as an approach to initiating pro-environmental behaviour change through value creation.Originality/valueOur study extends the theory around pro-environmental behaviour and provides empirical evidence from domestic tourists as an under-researched population within the debate around tourism sustainability and green hospitality. The study sheds new light on the importance of supply-side green interventions in tourist behaviour and highlights the potential influence of gender differences. It explores this in the context of an emerging tourism destination in the Global South.

Attitudes towards Climate Change among Wilderness Seekers

The aim of the study was to explore attitudes towards climate change among wilderness seekers. The subjects were 273 (M = 23.15, SD = 7.72) adults. These included: 189 women, 80 men and 4 people who identified as non-binary. The respondents completed four questionnaires: Wilderness Novelty Seeking Scale, Wilderness Self-Efficacy Sale, Wilderness Courage Scale, and Attitude Towards Climate Changes Scale. There were three distinct profiles of the respondents: Curious, who are interested in the wilderness but lack the skills and courage to explore dangerous wilderness places; Adventurous, who actively seek experiences in dangerous wilderness places and have survival skills; and Indifferent, who have little interest in the wilderness. The participants in these profiles differed in terms of attitude toward climate change. The Curious and Adventurous groups were significantly more concerned about climate change. In addition, they were more likely to believe that climate change is already having a negative impact on the lives of people in the places where they live. Furthermore, The Curious group felt less positive about climate change than the Adventurous group. They also felt more negative about it. Finally, wilderness seekers (Curious and Adventurous) were statistically more likely to engage in pro-environmental behaviors in the context of climate change compared to the Indifferent group.

Beyond private-sphere pro-environmental action: Explaining shared mobility using the Theory of Planned Behavior and solidarity-oriented variables

Shared mobility behaviors can decrease the negative environmental effects of the transport sector, yet they have received limited attention. Models such as the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) have been widely used to explain primarily individual private-sphere pro-environmental behaviors (PEB). However, as shared mobility behaviors are not completely limited to the private sphere but require social cooperation, solidarity-focused variables that emphasize social interactions may meaningfully complement the TPB variables. In three university samples (Study 1: N=261, Study 2: N=1411; Study 3: N=544), we tested relationships between the TPB variables and shared mobility, and whether solidarity-oriented variables are relevant predictors of shared mobility beyond the TPB variables. The analyses confirmed attitude (β = 0.38 − 0.59, p < 0.001) and social norm (β = 0.17 − 0.43, p < 0.001) as predictors of shared mobility intention. Furthermore, the solidarity-oriented variables universalism (β = 0.09 − 0.18, p < 0.05) as well as specific collective efficacy (β = 0.08 − 0.10, p < 0.05) and opinion-based social identification (β = 0.18, p < 0.001) positively predicted shared mobility intention. Psychological variables showed no consistent connection to self-reported shared mobility behaviors in logistic regressions. We discuss the scope of solidarity-oriented variables that need social cooperation to complementarily explain PEB beyond the private sphere.

Is the pursuit of pleasure on vacation a barrier to environmentally sustainable behaviour?

Two types of happiness (eudaimonia and hedonia) could potentially be leveraged to trigger pro-environmental tourist behaviour while preserving or even enhancing guest satisfaction. Hedonia (sensory/immediate pleasure) is commonly considered a barrier to pro-environmental behaviour on vacation, while eudaimonia (fulfilment/growth) is generally thought to prompt pro-environmental behaviour. Whether, and in what way, hedonia and eudaimonia are associated with pro-environmental behaviour in tourism, remains empirically untested. This study assesses—for the first time—the empirical relationship of hedonia and eudaimonia with stated pro-environmental behaviour in both an imagined home and vacation context to determine tourism-specific context dependence. Eudaimonia emerges as being highly related to tourist pro-environmental behaviour, suggesting a promising leverage point for pro-environmental behaviour change interventions. Contrary to popular belief, there is no empirical evidence of hedonia being associated with tourist pro-environmental behaviour, suggesting it may not represent a barrier to such behaviour.

Measuring pro-environmental (noise) behavior- Preliminary results of a large online survey across countries

Studies on noise effects offer comprehensive insights into the connections between noise exposure and human responses, taking into account various moderators. Nevertheless, the predominant focus tends to lie on the perspective of those exposed and affected. Aspects of individual, noise-conscious behavior, so as not to disturb others, have received notably less attention. Based on the concept of noise-conscious behaviors, which recognizes the avoidance of noise as a crucial social and personal responsibility, including the willingness to permanently adapt one's own conduct, an online survey was carried out in Germany, Austria and Switzerland with the participation of over 400 individuals. The analysis of the survey focuses on the topic of noise-conscious behavior and the factors promoting or inhibiting specific noise-sensitive behavior, especially in the context of vehicle driving. The paper presents initial findings and discusses the significance of these observations for promoting sustainable noise reduction. The work conducted is part of the research project "Verhaltensbezogene Lärmminderungsmaßnahmen" - VELMA (FE 69.0013/2022), which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, represented by the German Federal Highway Research Institute. The responsibility for the content lies solely with the authors.

Shaping sustainable tourism: how minimalism and citizenship behavior influence tourists’ proenvironmental behavior

Purpose This study aims to examine the roles of minimalist and citizenship behaviors in influencing sustainable tourism practices. It further examined the role of moral credit as a mediating factor in these relationships. Additionally, this research scrutinizes the moderating effects of age and gender on these behavioral influences. Design/methodology/approach This study used a descriptive, quantitative and cross-sectional design to examine the data of 451 tourists visiting three destinations in India. The proposed conceptual model was evaluated through partial least squares structural equation Modeling, and the impact of the control variables was examined via PLS-Multi Group Analysis. Findings The results confirmed that minimalist and citizenship behaviors significantly influence pro-environmental actions. Moral credit has emerged as a pivotal bridge between these behaviors and sustainable tourism practices, underscoring its mediating role. Additionally, the analysis revealed that age and gender substantially moderated these relationships, highlighting the demographic-specific dynamics. Originality/value This study provides novel insights into how behaviors such as minimalism and citizenship contribute to sustainable travel practices. The identification of moral credit as a key mediator, along with the demographic nuances of age and gender, offers unique perspectives on sustainable consumer behavior dynamics within tourism. These findings provide valuable directions for stakeholders in sustainable tourism and policymakers aiming to cultivate positive consumer behaviors and advance the sustainability of the sector.

Fostering opinion leaders’ pro-environmental behaviour: examining the mediating role of social media expression and the moderating role of mianzi

ABSTRACT This study examines how Chinese citizens’ leadership qualities relate to their intention to engage in pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) and how socio-cultural factors, mianzi (face), may affect this relationship. By conducting a national survey (N = 995) among Chinese social media users, this study finds that those with higher opinion leadership report higher intention to engage in both public-sphere and private-sphere PEBs. Self-perceived opinion leaders are also more willing to express themselves on social media, which consequently promotes their public-sphere PEB intention but not private-sphere PEB intention. In this process, perceived interpersonal trust strengthens opinion leaders’ expressive behaviours on social media. Meanwhile, Mianzi is more effective in boosting non-opinion leaders’ intention to engage in private-sphere PEBs, catching up with self-perceived opinion leaders. These findings shed light on the differences between public- and private-sphere PEBs and provide both theoretical and practical implications for promoting PEB intentions in the Chinese context.

Just a drop in the ocean? How lay beliefs about the world influence efficacy, perceptions, and intentions regarding pro-environmental behavior

Climate change is a large-scale problem that might leave people paralyzed by feeling too small to make a difference. Indeed, low response efficacy has been shown to be related to low pro-environmental behavior. There have been some attempts to increase people's efficacy. However, these have often been less successful than hoped. In the present research, we suggest that response efficacy is informed by people's more fundamental understanding of how the world functions (i.e., their lay beliefs about the world): whether they think the world is changeable or fixed. In three online experiments (on samples from Austria and the USA) we manipulated participants' lay beliefs about the world and measured their response efficacy and different indicators of intentions and perceptions related to pro-environmental behavior (such as climate change belief, perceiving norms as changing and feelings of working together in pro-environmental behavior). People who were led to adopt the belief that the world is changeable (i.e., an incremental belief) reported higher response efficacy regarding climate change. There was also some indication that they had stronger pro-environmental intentions, felt more like working together with others when engaging in pro-environmental behavior, and perceived norms around pro-environmental behavior as more dynamic. These results indicate that people's global understanding of the world plays a role in how they view and tackle large-scale social problems such as climate change. Supporting an incremental belief might foster an agentic approach to such problems and promote social change.

Battle of the E-cowarriors: Differential effects of environmental appeals by influencers and organizations on youth's pro-environmental attitudes and behavior intentions

Environmental social media influencers (SMIs)—or ‘greenfluencers’—nowadays receive considerable scholarly and public attention. Yet, SMIs' persuasive power compared to institutional sources like environmental nonprofit organizations (ENPOs) on social media remains uninvestigated. We address this gap with a pre-registered between-subjects experiment (N = 269) among 16-to-25-year-olds from Belgium using real SMIs and ENPOs. We find that both sources affect pro-environmental outcomes, but via different mechanisms and among different groups. ENPOs are perceived as more trustworthy, which translates to higher pro-environmental attitudes and behavior intentions. SMIs affect pro-environmental behavior intentions via wishful identification and perceived similarity—yet only among women with higher environmental concern. Both sources stimulate pro-environmental outcomes via perceptions of attainability. Finally, SMIs' effects on pro-environmental outcomes are not fully explained by these source perceptions, which points to the necessity to study additional mechanisms. Overall, our findings illuminate important boundary conditions and mechanisms of newfangled pro-environmental persuasion via social media.

Background of Environmental Awareness and Pro-Environmental Behavior Among Amazonian Farmers - Emphasis on the State of Rondônia

Objective: The study aims to identify levels of environmental knowledge, environmental beliefs, environmental awareness, and sustainable practices among Amazonian farmers, associating these factors with socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. Theoretical Framework: Environmental awareness is the understanding of the importance of protecting the environment and promoting sustainability, influenced by backgrounds such as environmental knowledge and beliefs, and social and income factors, resulting in pro-environmental behaviors. Method: Interviews with 308 farmers from the central region of Rondônia assessed socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, environmental knowledge, environmental beliefs, environmental awareness, and sustainable agricultural practices. Quantitative analysis used t-tests and analysis of variance to identify significant differences between categories such as age, gender, property size, and education. Results and Discussion: Although it was expected that environmental components would be crucial for sustainable rural development, the variation between groups was small. Environmental awareness was positively associated with education and property size. Higher education expanded environmental understanding and the adoption of sustainable practices. Surprisingly, larger properties, despite focusing on profit maximization, showed greater environmental awareness. Female-led properties had lower adoption of sustainable practices, possibly due to reduced access to resources and support networks. Research Implications: Despite assumptions that environmental dimensions would be strongly associated with socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, little variation was observed, indicating increasing uniformity in environmental awareness among farmers. Originality/Value: Understanding the environmental awareness of farmers in the Amazon is crucial for developing effective conservation strategies. Direct research with these often-overlooked farmers can provide valuable insights for public policies and environmental education, promoting sustainable agricultural practices and forest preservation.

How animal metaphors increase tourists’ waste classification intention?

Abstract Previous researches have shown that animal metaphors play an important role in promoting specific behavioral dispositions of individuals. However, we are not well aware of the role of animal metaphors in tourists' waste classification intentions. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of animal metaphors advertising for waste classification in scenic spots (vs. non-animal metaphors advertising) on tourists' waste classification intentions. Four experiments (N=1051) were conducted in this study to examine the impacts of animal metaphors advertising in scenic spots, on tourists' waste classification intentions, which enriches the literature on the animal metaphors and tourists' pro-environmental behaviors. The results show that the animal metaphors advertising about waste classification in scenic spots can effectively increase tourists' waste classification intentions. We explored the mediating role of tourists' perceptions of cute animal images in animal metaphors advertising, and the moderating role of visual imagery for animal metaphors advertising, on the relationship between animal metaphors advertising and tourists' waste classification intentions. The results show that there is a significant interaction effect between visual imagery and animal metaphors advertising. In conclusion, this study reveals the different impacts of animal metaphors, cute images and visual imagery on individual tourists, which provides new insights for scenic spot managers to choose waste classification strategies and the looks of bins.

ECO-MIND: enhancing pro-environmental behaviours and mental health through nature contact for urban youth – a research protocol for a multi-country study using geographic ecological momentary assessment and mental models

IntroductionUrban youth are experiencing increasing mental health problems due to diverse personal, social and environmental concerns. Youths’ detachment from natural environments, including green and blue spaces, may intensify such issues...

Sustainable purchasing behavior and the consumer: Pre- and in-store interventions to facilitate the use of carbon labelling

This empirical article presents the results of two interventions at different stages in the purchase process designed to influence consumer purchase behavior towards lower carbon products. Survey and questionnaire results show the potential for targeted interventions to increase awareness and understanding of complex sustainability initiatives, such as carbon labelling. Analysis of supermarket loyalty card data provides further evidence of the widely cited attitude-intention-behavior gap. The value of measuring the behavioral impact of interventions objectively is therefore highlighted. The challenge of attempting to change behavior within real world contexts, such as a retail supermarket setting, is illustrated and the consequences of this discussed. Our findings present valuable insights for researchers studying behavioral change and stakeholders attempting to influence pro-environmental purchasing behavior.

Corporate social responsibility: A Driver for green organizational climate and workplace pro-environmental behavior

In line with the United Nation's sustainable development goals (SDGs), the unsustainable use of scarce natural resources and worldwide environmental degradation call for the immediate implementation of green behaviors across all organizations. As environmental issues originate from human activities, they necessitate the realization and execution of employees' workplace pro-environmental behaviors (WPEB) and their stimulators. Drawing on social exchange and social identity theories, this study first investigates the mediating role of green organizational climate in the relationship between various forms of perceived corporate social responsibility (CSR) and employees' WPEB. It further examines the mediated moderation via green shared vision. An adapted survey questionnaire was distributed to senior-level and middle-level managers of large and medium-sized manufacturing firms in Pakistan, and 349 responses were gathered. The partial least-squares technique was used for data analysis. The findings indicate that all forms of perceived CSR positively correlate with a green organizational climate, which further significantly leads to employees' WPEB. The results also show that a strong shared green vision among employees can improve the relationship between the green organizational climate and employees' WPEB and vice versa. Moreover, multi-group analysis shows that the relationship between customer-centric perceived CSR and green organizational climate was stronger for medium-sized firms than large ones. Thus, to ensure the implementation of SDGs such as decent work and climate action, firms' top management must recognize the importance of investing in both internal and external CSR initiatives to foster a green organizational climate leading to employees' WPEB. Companies should communicate their participation in CSR activities to all stakeholders through public platforms to increase inspiration. Policymakers should further introduce CSR excellence awards and non-compliance penalties to encourage firms' extensive participation.

It takes a village: The role of community attributes in shaping solar photovoltaic adoption intention in Germany

The shared attributes, attitudes, and beliefs of communities can either act as a catalyst or a barrier to the adoption of pro-environmental behaviours such as the adoption of solar photovoltaic (PV). Using a multilevel mixed-effect modelling approach on survey data from 1800 German homeowners, we examine how individual/household and objective community attributes and their interplay shape the intention to adopt solar PV. Research findings indicate that a significant explanation of intention to adopt solar PV is related to unobserved community characteristics (13 %); with community level covariates including a proxy for spatial peer effects explains 8 % of this variance. Testing for spatial peer effects via a cross-level interaction, our findings suggest that a higher diffusion rate of PV installations in a community can positively influence intention to adopt Solar PV for households who on average have a low intention to adopt. Understanding the degree that individual versus area-based effects impact intention to adopt can provide policymakers with a framework to develop policies to incentivize the uptake of Solar PV among traditionally “hard-to-convince” population groups at the local level.

Academia as a driver of change: a bibliometric analysis of pro-environmental behavior in higher education institutions

Academia as a driver of change: a bibliometric analysis of pro-environmental behavior in higher education institutions