Types Of Pro-environmental Behavior Research Articles

Behavioral spillovers from green purchases: comparing impacts on consumption and policy support

Green labels and green advertising aim to promote products associated with less energy demands and lower carbon emissions. However, there are indications that purchasing green products may trigger negative spillover effects to subsequent pro-environmental behaviors. One policy-relevant question is whether spillovers from green purchases vary between different types of pro-environmental behaviors, notably consumption vs. policy support, and what determines any differences. Another important question is whether the price of green products affects the magnitude and direction of such spillover effects. Using an experiment among US citizens (N = 1,985), we show that spillovers from green purchases differ significantly between pro-environmental behaviors. In particular we find that spillovers are positive for green consumption and negative for climate policy support. Regarding price effects, we do not find robust evidence on their moderating role but only a tendency for cheap prices to exacerbate the direction of the spillover: negative for policy support and positive for green consumption. Finally, pro-environmental identity, previously suggested in the literature as a central moderator of spillover effects from green purchases, appears to be less determinant.

A new generation of consumers? A study on the pro-environmental behavior of the Fridays for Future generation based on the social identity approach

Especially for the younger generation, climate change is a threat, and therefore, environmental protection and pro-environmental behavior (PEB) are most important. The Fridays for Future movement speaks up for the young generation. Based on the social identity approach, the study is the first to investigate the role of stereotypes related to identification with the movement as a political expression of youth. Using structural equation modeling (n = 543), the study demonstrates that identification is higher when pupils connect the movement with positive stereotypes, aligning with previous research findings for other activists, such as feminists. Whereby environmental concern has an additionally significant but low impact on identification, pro-material value orientation has no effect. Furthermore, the study investigates the relationship between identification with the movement and different types of PEB. The relationship is strongest with public sphere PEB in the form of future participation in a demonstration of the movement. Nevertheless, there is also a positive relationship with private sphere PEB such as nature-compatible actions in everyday life, for example, a meat-free diet and buying an environmentally friendly product. This is partly additionally confirmed through a conjoint analysis also conducted as part of the study. These findings enhance the understanding of the relationship between activism and different types of PEB among pupils and they contribute to closing this research gap. Finally, the implications and limitations of the work are discussed, along with an outlook for future research.

Association between eco-anxiety, sustainable eating and consumption behaviors and the EAT-Lancet diet score among university students

There is not much research on how actions that are good for the environment, sustainable and healthy eating behaviors and dietary patterns affect eco-anxiety, or vice versa. The goal of this study is to find out what predicts eco-anxiety or sustainable and healthy eating behaviors among university students. This study was done with 605 undergraduate students. They filled out scales including eco-anxiety, the Turkish version of sustainable and healthy eating behaviors, organic food consumption, and sustainable consumption behavior. Also, the EAT-Lancet Diet scores of the participants were calculated. Pearson correlational analysis was used in order to show the correlational coefficients between scales, and multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the predictors of both climate anxiety and sustainable and healthy eating behaviors. The mean scores of eco-anxiety, meat reduction, organic food consumption, the EAT-Lancet diet, environmental awareness, and reusability were higher among female participants. Eco-anxiety was associated with some types of pro-environmental behaviors. Lower behavioral symptoms related to eco-anxiety, greater organic food consumption, and environmental awareness were associated with higher sustainable and healthy eating behaviors. These findings suggest that eco-anxiety may be considered a motivating force for pro-environmental behaviors like environmental awareness, but behavioral symptoms related to eco-anxiety may have a negative effect on sustainable and healthy eating behaviors. In order to adopt more sustainable dietary patterns, governments should inform people about the impact of their dietary choices on the environment.

Crowding-In and Crowding-Out. Studying the Relationship between Sustainable Citizenship and Political Activism in Flanders

This study examines whether pro-environmental behavior crowds-in (associates positively with) or crowds-out (displaces) political activism. This research is part of a broader debate on the nature of individual pro-environmental behavior and whether it can be considered a political act. Studies generally show a positive association between pro-environmental behavior and political activism. However, few have differentiated between types of pro-environmental behavior. In contrast, our study uses Flemish survey data to examine the relationship between political activism and different modes of pro-environmental behavior: sustainable transport, shopping decisions, energy curtailment, and waste sorting. The results are generally consistent with previous studies. Political activism was positively related to sustainable transport, shopping decisions, and waste sorting. However, it was negatively associated with energy curtailment. Results thus suggest that energy curtailment may displace political action. In conclusion, by differentiating between various modes of pro-environmental behavior, our study confirms but also nuances the usefulness of concepts such as sustainable citizenship. These notions often frame individual pro-environmental behavior as part of broader political and collective strategies to address environmental issues. Our study shows that this may exclude some forms of ecologically significant behavior such as energy curtailment.

Runners’ Pro-Environmental Behavior: The Role of Place Attachment and Environmental Concern

Understanding how sport consumers’ pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) are shaped can be helpful for sport organizations in developing sport policies and establishing marketing strategies for the sport sector. To extend the literature on sport consumers’ PEBs, this study explored the relationship between residents’ place attachment and three types of PEBs using environmental concern as a mediator. Residents who ran habitually were recruited using an internet survey in Japan (N = 366). The results showed that place attachment was negatively associated with general PEB and place-specific PEB. However, place attachment was also positively and indirectly associated with general PEB, place-specific PEB, and ethically minded sport consumer behavior through environmental concerns. The findings contribute to the literature by identifying the mediating role of environmental concern in the relationship between place attachment and PEBs.

Drivers and interrelationships of three types of pro-environmental behaviors in the workplace

PurposePrior research in the human resources management fields focused primarily on one type of employees’ pro-environmental behaviors yet failed to empirically investigate interrelationships among the distinct dimensions of their pro-environmental behaviors. To build a deeper understanding of the psychological process in becoming an environmental activist in the workplace, this study aims to examine the interrelationships among frontline employees’ green autonomous motivation, green external motivation, environmental concern, self-efficacy and three types of pro-environmental behaviors (i.e. green idea generation behavior, green idea promotion behavior and green idea activist behavior).Design/methodology/approachWith the survey method, the data were collected from frontline employees working at hospitality enterprises in South Korea. This study analyzed the collected data, including frequency analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.FindingsThe empirical results showed that autonomous motivation significantly influenced environmental concern, self-efficacy, green idea generation behavior and green idea promotion behavior. Also, external motivation significantly affected environmental concern, self-efficacy and green idea promotion behavior. Furthermore, environmental concern had significant influences on self-efficacy and green idea promotion behavior, and self-efficacy had significant effects on green idea generation behavior and green idea promotion behavior. Finally, green idea activist behavior was significantly influenced by green idea generation behavior and green idea promotion behavior only.Practical implicationsThis study proposes managerial implications to hospitality organizations and public policymakers for maximizing the effectiveness and efficiency of their green initiatives via frontline employees’ green idea activist behavior.Originality/valueBased on the empirical findings, this study proposes several theoretical and practical implications for the extant literature and the service industry in the context of frontline employees’ three types of pro-environmental behaviors from their working motivation.

Can Recreation Specialization Negatively Impact Pro-Environmental Behavior in Hiking Activity? A Self-Interest Motivational View

Are highly specialized hikers really more likely to behave in a pro-environmental manner? By discussing a negative linkage between recreation specialization and pro-environmental behavior, this study tackles a narrowly optimistic view that specialized hikers are always likely to behave pro-environmentally. We examined survey data from South Korean hikers and found that while recreation specialization does not significantly affect attitudes, it negatively affects perceived behavioral control. Further, all types of pro-environmental behavior were significantly impacted by their attitude, but only one pro-environmental behavior (i.e., following designated trails) was strongly impacted by perceived behavioral control. By synthesizing our findings with current literature, we suggest comprehensively evaluating all three motivational factors—self-interest, prosocial, and affective motivations—to predict pro-environmental behavior.

Linear Econometric Estimations of the Effects of Religious Beliefs on Pro-environmental Behaviors

Environmental protection has become a public concern as the economy grows, especially in developing countries. Previous studies have examined determinants of individual pro-environmental behaviors. Using data from a nationwide survey carried out in mainland China in 2013, we intend to estimate the effects of religious beliefs on individual pro-environmental behaviors. We employ a linear econometric model and apply an Ordinary Least Square estimator to estimate the model. We use five measures to represent pro-environmental behaviors and distinguish between plain and strong religious beliefs. Estimation results show that, in general, holding any religious belief has a significant impact on all types of pro-environmental behaviors. Moreover, strong religious beliefs have greater impacts on different types of pro-environmental behaviors. Policy implications of the paper could be that people with religious beliefs should not be the target of programs aiming at promoting individual pro-environmental behaviors.

Identity and Guilt as Mediators of Pro-environmental Spillover.

Policymakers are interested in programs that increase targeted pro-environmental behavior (PEB) and spill over to increase non-targeted PEBs. Theoretically, guilt should lead to negative spillover and identity to positive spillover, though this has rarely been tested empirically. Additionally, little is known about how reminders of past PEB behavior might also lead to downstream spillover effects. Across two studies, participants (Study 1: 377 MTurk workers; Study 2: 172 undergraduates) were randomly assigned to write about a prior PEB, an anti-environmental behavior, or to a control condition. Subsequently, respondents were given an opportunity to perform a PEB2 and completed measures of PEB3 intentions. Results showed some evidence of positive (through increasing identity) and negative (through decreasing guilt) indirect spillover pathways from prior PEB reminders to PEB2 performance and PEB3 curtailment intentions (but not efficiency upgrade intentions). However, there were no overall spillover effects from PEB reminders to PEB2 performance or PEB3 intentions, as the positive and negative indirect effects canceled each other out. Results also showed positive spillover from PEB2 performance to PEB3 curtailment intentions through increasing environmental guilt. The strength of the spillover effects depended on the comparison group for the experimental manipulation, whether environmental guilt or global guilt was measured, and the type of PEB. The results suggest that environmental communications that remind people of their prior PEB may not meaningfully spill over to further PEB performance or intentions.

How Does Social Interaction Affect Pro-Environmental Behaviors in China? The Mediation Role of Conformity

Environmental problems rooted in human behaviors have been the major obstacles to sustainable development in many countries. The promotion of residents’ pro-environmental behaviors may serve to mitigate environmental problems. In this paper, we understand residents’ pro-environmental behaviors from the perspective of social interaction. We distinguish between low-cost and high-cost pro-environmental behaviors and analyze to what extent social interaction may affect the two types of pro-environmental behaviors and whether conformity plays a mediation role, using the Chinese General Social Survey in 2013. We find that frequent social interaction increases residents’ low-cost pro-environmental behaviors but decreases residents’ high-cost pro-environmental behaviors. Conformity has no mediation role for low-cost pro-environmental behaviors but has a full mediation role for high-cost pro-environmental behaviors. We conclude that residents have a strong tendency to conform to the behavioral patterns of the social majority when such conformity can save their time, effort, or financial cost. To promote residents’ pro-environmental behaviors, their enforcement cost for the residents should be taken into account and adaptive policy instruments should be developed for different types of pro-environmental behaviors.

“There Are Many People Like Me, Who Feel They Want to Do Something Bigger”: An Exploratory Study of Choosing Not to Have Children Based on Environmental Concerns

Calculating the ecological impact of different types of proenvironmental behavior has shown that having one child less is the behavior with the largest ecological impact. Despite this, environmenta...

When Does Being Watched Change Pro-Environmental Behaviors in the Laboratory?

Pro-environmental behaviors such as conserving water, reducing flights, or purchasing energy-efficient appliances are subject to social pressures. The influence of norms on behavior is widely studied, but it is less clear which social identities (e.g., political ideology; being an environmentalist) and contextual factors lead individuals to pursue or avoid pro-environmental behaviors. The visibility of behaviors—whether an action can be observed by others—has attracted wide research attention in psychology, business, and economics for theoretical and practical reasons. This paper includes three experiments on visibility, total N = 735 (U.S. university students). There were no effects of visibility on “green” purchases, donation to a conservation organization, or willingness to sign up for a water-reducing student meal plan; these null effects are consistent with a recent Registered Report. Additional predictors are also modeled, such as Openness and the need for status. It remains likely that being observed by certain audiences will affect certain pro-environmental behaviors in certain contexts. The discussion centers on methodological and conceptual issues contributing to null effects and to how future research can usefully explore individual difference moderators, type of audience, and types of pro-environmental behavior that influence when visibility might change conservation behaviors.

The Effect of Green Human Resource Management on Environmental Performance in Small Tourism Enterprises: Mediating Role of Pro-Environmental Behaviors

Research on the interrelationship between green human resource management (GHRM), employee pro-environmental behaviors, and environmental performance remains very limited, especially in relation to small tourism enterprises. This research bridges a knowledge gap and examines the direct effect of GHRM on environmental performance in small tourism enterprises and the indirect effect through employee pro-environmental behaviors. For this purpose, a quantitative research approach was adopted using a pre-tested instrument. A questionnaire was handed to employees in small hotels and travel agencies in Greater Cairo, Egypt. The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) showed a positive significant effect of GHRM on both types of pro-environmental behaviors (tasked-related and proactive). However, the results, surprisingly, showed no significant direct effect of GHRM on environmental performance. Notwithstanding, there was an indirect, positive, and significant effect of GHRM on environmental performance through tasked-related and proactive pro-environmental behaviors. This reflects the value and vital role of employee pro-environmental behaviors in the relationship between GHRM and environmental performance in small tourism enterprises. The research provided various implications for tourism scholars and practitioners, especially those related to small tourism enterprises. Research limitations and opportunities for further research are also discussed.

Children in nature: exploring the relationship between childhood outdoor experience and environmental stewardship

This study examines the relationships between childhood participation in appreciative, consumptive, and abusive types of outdoor activities and the connection to nature, environmental attitudes, and four types of pro-environmental behaviors in high school students. A questionnaire was given to 140 racially mixed, suburban, largely college-bound Texas high school students. The major results indicate a positive correlation between appreciative types of childhood outdoor activities and both connection to nature and environmental citizenship behaviors. Appreciative outdoor activities in childhood were found to predict 10.7% of the variance in connectedness to nature and 12.3% of the variance in adolescent citizenship behaviors. Connectedness to nature was found to predict 8.9% of adolescent citizenship behaviors and was also responsible for 3.8% of the variation in the conservation behaviors of the participants. Results also indicated that those individuals who participated in more consumptive outdoor activities in childhood were slightly less likely to maintain a pro-environmental attitude.

Relationships Between Identity, Well-Being, and Willingness to Sacrifice in Personal and Collective Favorite Places: The Mediating Role of Well-Being.

In line with research indicating positive associations between well-being and personal and collective people-place bonding, and that collectivistic compared to individualistic commitment may have stronger associations with pro-environmental behavior, we investigated relationships between identity, well-being, and willingness to sacrifice (type of pro-environmental behavior) in personal and collective favorite places. A total of 884 respondents, living in three Swedish municipalities, participated in this study. In line with the hypotheses, we showed congruent positive relationships between place-related: (1) personal identity and personal well-being; (2) collective identity and collective well-being, (3) collective identity and collective willingness to sacrifice; and (4) an incongruent positive association between collective identity and personal willingness to sacrifice. Additionally, a significant role of well-being in mediating the identity → willingness to sacrifice relationship was reported, suggesting that our willingness to pay higher taxes and prices and to accept cuts in standard of living in order to protect our personal and collective favorite places might be accounted for partly by how we feel visiting these places.

Risk perception and response toward climate change for higher education students in Taiwan.

The effects of climate change have already begun to threaten biological diversity and human societies, and these effects will continue to grow over time. To face the challenges related to mitigation and adaptation will require an educated and motivated citizenry. From the perspective of green education, providing knowledge related to climate change and promoting pro-environmental behaviors is imperative. In this study, we assess current levels of knowledge, risk perception and types of pro-environmental behaviors. We administered a questionnaire to 1118 university students in Taiwan evaluating climate change knowledge (15 items), risk perception (23 items), and attitudes toward behavioral change (33 items). Factor analyses were conducted to identify the underlying latent variables for risk perception and obstacles to behavioral change, and ANOVA tests were performed to identify significant associations between three different levels of climate change knowledge and responses to the risk perception and obstacles-to-change items. We found that higher levels of knowledge significantly predicted greater perceptions of risk related to biodiversity threats and increased public costs. In terms of behavior, students with lower levels of knowledge were significantly more likely to find uncertainties related to climate change to be a greater obstacle to engaging in pro-environmental behaviors. Higher levels of knowledge clearly allow individuals to better assess the threats posed by climate change and reduces the perceived level of uncertainty related to climate change and the impact of pro-environmental behaviors. Our results suggest that Taiwan's efforts to implement climate change related information in the public schools and in the university system have been effective and that such efforts should be broadened to reach the public as a whole.

At home, in public, and in between: gender differences in public, private and transportation pro-environmental behaviors in the US Intermountain West

ABSTRACTResearch in environmental sociology finds differences between men and women in the performance of pro-environmental behaviors, but gender effects change over time, and vary by location and type of pro-environmental behavior. Thus, research needs to explore gender differences in various pro-environmental behaviors across different contexts, in order to contribute to better understanding of the connections between sustainability and gender equity. This paper analyzes the gendered differences in pro-environmental behaviors in the Intermountain West region of the United States using survey data collected in 2016 from five states: Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming. Results of ordinary least squares and ordered logistic regression analyses indicate women are more likely than men to engage in pro-environmental behaviors in the private sphere. Gendered differences are also evident in public pro-environmental behaviors, though results suggest those may be a consequence of higher levels of environmental concern among women. An analysis of transportation behaviors yields mixed results. All three types of behaviors have implications for gender equity.

Analyzing differences between different types of pro-environmental behaviors: Do attitude intensity and type of knowledge matter?

This study explores whether the associations between general environmental attitudes and pro-environmental behaviors are heterogeneous and whether these associations depend on attitude intensity and the specific pro-environmental behavior. The study also examines the association between objective and subjective knowledge and behavior and the relationship with socioeconomic and personal characteristics. Mixed effects logistic regressions were performed using data from a representative nationwide survey of Spanish citizens aged 18 to 90 years (N = 2495). The results revealed interesting patterns of heterogeneity. First, only curtailment behaviors (separating trash and using street trash cans) were significantly associated with general environmental attitudes. This result was observed only for the highest level of environmental attitudes. Second, whereas subjective knowledge was associated with all pro-environmental behaviors, objective knowledge was only associated with efficiency behavior (using energy-efficient light bulbs). Finally, men showed lower levels of reported behavior than women for all pro-environmental activities. The policy implications of these findings are discussed.

Spread the Green Word: A Social Community Perspective Into Environmentally Sustainable Behavior

Engagement in proenvironmental behavior can be understood in part by considering how individuals operate as members of social communities and are influenced by these communities. In the present work, we use social network analysis to explore how social network structure predicts proenvironmental behavior. We consider three types of behaviors—(a) private, (b) public nonorganizational, and (c) organizational behaviors—and consider the potential for (i) behavioral diffusion and (ii) two types of opinion leader influence for each of these three behaviors within a religious social community. Results are consistent with patterns indicating diffusion for public nonorganizational and organizational, but not private behaviors. In contrast, being well connected with many opinion leaders to whom one would go for advice (but not simply being friends with these individuals) is associated with greater engagement in all three types of proenvironmental behavior.

Types of place attachment and pro-environmental behaviors of urban residents in Beijing

Residents' engagement in pro-environmental behavior is crucial in tackling the environmental challenges that cities face. Research shows that residents who are attached to their place of residence are more likely to engage in pro-environmental behavior and, consequently, place attachment has been prescribed as a pro-environmental policy. However, previous research has not explored which specific aspect of place attachment is most effective at promoting different types of pro-environmental behavior. Furthermore, in the context of big cities which typically host both natives and migrants, different resident groups may be attached to their places of residence due to different reasons. This implies that different types of place attachment policies may be required for each group of residents. Using survey data in Beijing, China, we find that the social bonding dimension of place attachment is most effective at promoting pro-environmental behavior and that this relationship is stronger for native born residents and those with longer residency length. We also find that the effect of place social bonding is stronger for high-effort than low-effort pro-environmental behavior. Our findings have implications for the design and implementation of place attachment policies for local authorities in Beijing and in other big cities where different groups of residents cohabit. Generally, our research results imply that place attachment policies that focus on promoting social connections amongst urban residents to their place of residence will be most effective.