Search Results (15)

Promoting pro-environmental behavior is crucial for addressing environmental challenges and achieving sustainable development. Social norms, as a powerful situational force, are considered an effective strategy for encouraging environmental protection actions. However, the mechanisms and boundaries of different types of social norms remain unclear. This study focuses on the pro-environmental donation context, aiming to reveal how social norms influence donation intentions, particularly the mediating role of personal norms and the moderating effect of social distance. Through two online experimental studies, this study manipulates norm types and social distance while measuring participants’ personal norms and donation intentions. The findings suggest that injunctive social norms are more effective than descriptive norms in promoting donation intentions, with personal norms mediating this effect. Social distance moderates the effect of norm type: descriptive norms are more effective in close social distance, while injunctive norms have a stronger impact in distant social distance. This study not only systematically outlines the psychological pathway through which social norms drive pro-environmental behavior but also reveals a “norm type-psychological distance” matching effect, providing a theoretical basis and practical guidance for targeted and context-specific environmental communication and donation interventions. Full article

This study examined how environmental attitudes, message framing, and cultural context shape conservation judgments in national parks and protected areas (NPPAs). Participants from the U.S. (N = 181) and India (N = 157) reported their environmental attitudes using the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) scale and responded to scenarios depicting unsustainable behaviors (trampling vegetation, feeding wildlife, and littering) framed in either gain or loss terms. Regression analyses showed that stronger pro-environmental attitudes consistently predicted greater disapproval of unsustainable actions and higher willingness to donate. Indian respondents generally expressed stronger pro-conservation judgments, and the NEP × Country interaction was significant for trampling, indicating cultural moderation of attitude effects. Message framing had minimal impact, reaching significance only for littering and showing no moderation by country. NPPA pass ownership positively influenced all outcomes, while age predicted donation intentions only. These findings underscore the importance of values-aligned, context-sensitive strategies to encourage sustainable behaviors across diverse cultural settings. Full article

Climate change (CC) is one of the most urgent challenges of our time. Research suggests that pro-environmental behaviors (PEB) are essential to address this crisis, encompassing sustainable consumption (e.g., recycling or saving energy) and active participation (e.g., protesting or donating). In this regard, young adults play a significant role as change agents. Considering the previous literature affirming the importance of CC emotions on PEB, this study aims to analyze the mediating role of eco-worry and eco-anxiety in the relationship between two cognitive antecedents (general willingness to behave pro-environmentally and CC agency) and two types of PEB (sustainable consumption and active participation). To do so, we gathered a sample of 308 young adults aged 18 to 30 years. Results show that eco-worry mediates the relationships between both antecedents (willingness and CC agency) with sustainable consumption and active participation. In contrast, eco-anxiety in young adults only mediates the relationship between CC agency and active participation. Our findings suggest that eco-worry plays a crucial role in promoting PEB more broadly, while eco-anxiety appears to be only relevant in influencing active participation. These results contrast with others observed in the adult population, so further studies are needed to confirm these findings. Full article

Investigating the role of social norms in fostering pro-environmental behaviors is crucial for advancing human efforts toward environmental protection. This study employed a one-way, two-level, between-participants experimental design, focusing on the type of social norm as the independent variable and pro-environmental donations as the dependent variable. This study aimed to explore the impact of working-together normative appeals on pro-environmental donations and to understand the underlying mediating mechanism. In total, 128 Chinese university students participated in an online experiment. The findings indicated that working-together normative appeals significantly increased both the intention to donate and the actual amount of pro-environmental donations in the experimental group compared to those in the control group. Furthermore, the perceived behavioral control and intentions towards pro-environmental donations were identified as mediators in the relationship between social norm categorization and pro-environmental donations. Notably, intentions towards pro-environmental donations alone had a substantial mediating effect. These results underscore the positive influence of working-together normative appeals on pro-environmental donations and offer valuable insights into encouraging active participation in the creation of an eco-friendly society, particularly within a collectivist cultural context. Full article

In many parts of the world, water scarcity is increasing due to climate change and the deterioration of the quantity and quality of water sources. In the southeastern U.S., water conservation is of particular concern because of the decades-long water war between the states of Florida, Georgia, and Alabama over two shared river basins. Individuals can only do so much to conserve water in their home, but different forms of donations can contribute to larger efforts resulting in greater environmental impact. Using a conceptual framework connecting self-identity to water conservation contribution engagement, the purpose of this study was to determine if personal water conservation behavioral intent impacted contributions to organizations supporting water conservation so effective communication strategies can be developed. Previous studies connected self-identity and intention to engage in pro-environmental behaviors, but there is a lack of research on the connection to water conservation donation behavior. Respondents were recruited to take an online survey using non-probability opt-in sampling. Self-reported intent to engage in water conservation behaviors, current contribution behaviors (if they donate to an organization that protects water, are a member of a water conservation organization, own a specialty license plate that supports water conservation, and volunteer for water conservation events), and total family income in the past year were obtained. Data were analyzed using point-biserial correlations and binary logistic regressions. The results indicated personal water conservation behavioral intent was positively correlated to water conservation contribution behaviors. Personal water conservation behavioral intent and income level were significant predictors of contribution behaviors. Environmental communicators and educators should encourage those who identify as conservationists to increase their self-identity through contributing to organizations. Future research should be conducted to determine if actual versus perceived discretionary income and/or time is a predictor of contributions. Full article

This extant study attempts to present a comprehensive predictive model for solid waste recycling behavior. Solid waste is a major environmental concern globally. Particularly, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), being the larger gulf country in the Middle East is a major contributor to solid waste. Consequently, this study was carried out to identify the motivational factors that consumers consider important for recycling their household waste. We extended the theory of planned behavior (TBP) and utilized actual behavioral variables such as resell, reuse, and donation. A structured questionnaire was carried out with 365 purposively selected respondents in the KSA. Among several other noteworthy findings consistent with previous studies, we found that reselling was the most significant factor of recycling behavior followed by donation. Further, the multi-group analysis (MGA) results reveal significant group differences in gender and age variables; the significance test indicates that the male group has much better pro-environmental behavior than the female group. In terms of age, our results showed that recycling intention and reselling behavior passed a significant test in the elderly group when compared to a younger group. This study has unique contributions and findings leading to practical implications for government authorities, businesses, and non-governmental organizations. The findings will particularly aid in increasing the recycling intention and behavior among household consumers. This research will guide in making laws and policies that can help to embrace the green challenges and boost recycling activities for a sustainable environment. Full article

The current research examines the extent to which attitudes and personality traits are predictive of pro-environmental behavior (PEB). Concretely, we tested the relationship between pro-environmental attitudes, HEXACO personality traits, and actual PEB (donating potential prize money to a pro-environmental organization; N = 257). Additionally, we controlled for the influence of helping behavior (donating to a pro-social organization) by addressing whether attitudes and personality have a distinct impact on PEB or whether people are more likely to engage in PEB because they act more pro-socially in general. Analyses included correlations, multiple linear regressions, mediations, and partial correlations. Pro-environmental attitude had the most robust association with PEB and mediated the influence of openness to experiences and honesty–humility on PEB. Importantly, the relationship of pro-environmental attitudes and personality (openness to experiences and honesty–humility) with PEB was unaffected by the participant’s helping behavior, suggesting that pro-environmental people mainly care about the environment and are not necessarily more pro-social in general. Full article

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. Full article

While excessive plastic use has severe ecological consequences, the distant nature of these consequences may limit their effect on individual plastic use behavior. One possibility to address this problem is to link plastic use behavior to more direct consequences. Pro-environmental behavior researchers adopting this approach typically try to change people’s behavior by providing them with monetary incentives. Here, we pursued an alternative strategy by linking pro-environmental behavior to prosocial incentives. Takeaway customers of a fast food restaurant were informed that, for every unused plastic bag, a small donation would be made to a charitable organization. In comparison to baseline and control conditions, the likelihood of using a restaurant-provided plastic bag was more than halved when plastic-bag refusal led to such prosocial incentives. In addition, we tested whether the effectiveness of prosocial incentives depended on their size and on the type of organization (prosocial vs. environmental) receiving the incentive. While these latter analyses revealed some promising trends, they did not allow for definitive conclusions about the effect of these parameters. Hence, while our field experiment provides support for the general effectiveness of prosocial incentives, more research is needed to determine which prosocial incentives are most effective in shaping plastic bag use and other environmentally relevant behaviors. Full article

Based on the ‘Inclusion Model of Environmental Concern’, we tested whether daily messaging intervention increases participants’ pro-environmental behavior (PEB). In a two (time: pre vs. post, repeated measure) × three (condition: egoistic appeals, ecological appeals, control group) experimental design, two hundred and eighteen individuals received either daily messages containing egoistic appeals for action to prevent climate change (e.g., preventing personal consequences of released diseases in melting arctic ice), ecological appeals (e.g., ecological consequences of melting glaciers), or no messages (control). PEB was assessed via self-reports and donations to an environmental organization. Neither of the appeals had an effect on the two dependent measures. Irrespective of experimental conditions, self-reported PEB was higher in the post- compared with the pre-test. Overall, the present results do not provide support for the effectiveness of a daily messaging technique. Instead, it appears that ‘being observed’ is the more effective ‘intervention’. Implications for how to foster PEB are discussed. Full article

To plan a persuasive environmental campaign, it is important to tell consumers environmental messages in an engaging manner, to encourage user participation. To explore the effective approaches to storytelling for environmental innovation, this study analyzes how varying interaction modes based on the interactivity levels of user participation framework influence people’s response to an environmental mission such as planting trees. This research has developed and employed various forms of interactive contents, such as problem-solving, mission-driven games to increase consumer awareness and induce pro-environmental actions. This research first reviews previous studies on game approaches and storytelling for environmental issues. It then explores how the different levels of interactive storytelling with the game content types induce consumer responses to a green product purchase or environmental protection campaign donation. Practical implications of environmental storytelling approaches and the use of interactive game content are also discussed. Full article

Much research has demonstrated that videos can function as primers or nudges that influence attitudes and behaviors. Studies to date suggest that this includes influence over individual pro-environmental attitudes. However, the existing evidence all stems from samples comprised of university students. In this paper, we describe the results of a randomized online experiment in a sample of 468 climate skeptics. We presented 3-min nature documentary videos that highlighted either the beauty of nature, the endangerment of nature by humans, or a mixture of both. The results suggest that the mixed stimulus video, which shows first the beauty of nature and then its endangerment by humans does indeed increase environmental concern by almost half a standard deviation. However, none of the video treatments increased donations to pro-environmental organizations. Still, the results suggest that nudging by video also works in samples of climate skeptics, which demonstrates the external validity of former findings. Full article

This study examines how processing fluency influences people’s behavioral intention to perform a pro-social behavior. In particular, we predict that high processing fluency enhances self-efficacy perception which, in turn, increases behavioral intention to participate in a pro-social campaign. Study 1 tested the proposed effect in the context of a pro-environmental campaign. Results showed that individual’s subjective feeling of processing fluency affects the degree of self-efficacy and intention to engage in recycling behavior. Study 2 replicated study 1 in the context of organ donation. In addition, we manipulated the degree of conceptual fluency by differently pairing message framing (gain vs. loss) and background color (blue vs. red). As predicted, participants exposed to campaign advertising with conceptually matching framing-color pairs (blue—gain framing and red—loss framing) expressed a greater level of self-efficacy than those who were exposed to mismatched pairs. In addition, self-efficacy mediated the influence of the color–framing match on the intention to donate organs. Our research contributes to the existing literature by identifying critical drivers that promote actions toward pro-social campaigns. It also provides useful guidelines for marketers who design and implement pro-social campaign communications. Full article

The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility of installing Water bottle Refill Stations (WRSs) and their contributions to campus sustainability by means of encouraging pro-environmental behavior in students. Plastic waste is one of the most critical environmental issues. Therefore, we investigated how WRS can deter students from using disposable plastic bottles. We conducted a survey at a Japanese university to address (1) students’ Willingness To Pay (WTP) to install WRS, (2) their Willingness To Use (WTU) WRSs while acknowledging its environmental benefits, and (3) the impact of communicating information about points (1) and (2). We utilized Goal-Framing Theory (GFT) and the Integrated Framework for Encouraging Pro-Environmental Behavior (IFEP) as the theoretical background of our study. The results of our survey found that the mean WTP was 2211 JPY (1 JPY = 0.01 USD), an amount students would donate just once. This finding indicates students would be willing to pay to install a WRS at their university. The mean WTP students supported would be enough to cover the WRS installation and maintenance costs. According to our study, 58.82% of students stated that they would be willing to use WRS. In doing so, students would save 45,191 disposable plastic bottles and reduce 10,846 kg of related CO₂ emissions every year. Our study also showed a statistically significant increase in WTP and WTU WRS as we introduced more and more information about pro-environmental behaviors to students. This finding indicates the importance of information campaigning and learning how to encourage pro-environmental behavior. Full article

As global concern about sustainability, food waste, and poverty increases, there is an urgent need to understand what motivates businesses to adopt pro-social and pro-environmental behaviours. This paper suggests that food redistribution organisations hold both pro-social and pro-environmental aims, due to their concern with reducing food surplus and food insecurity. To achieve this, they must motivate food businesses to donate their surplus food. However, little is known about the values, attitudes, and motives of food industry donors. The purpose of this paper is to provide a theoretical and conceptual overview to set out principles from which empirical data on food redistribution will be analysed or critiqued. Specifically, it explores pro-social and pro-environmental literature, as these fields have examined the motivations behind donations and reducing environmental impact. This review highlights that charitable giving of food is different to other inorganic material, such as money. Thus, future research is needed to capture the unique temporal, emotional, social, and environmental factors that motivate food donations. This information may contribute to the development of strategies that target and motivate people from the food industry to become food donors. Alternatively, it may reveal concerns about food donations, and highlight the need for other approaches to food waste and food insecurity. Full article