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Positive affect and pro-environmental behavior: A preregistered experiment

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  • Lange, Florian
  • Dewitte, Siegfried

Abstract

In recent years, correlational evidence has accumulated in support of a positive relationship between positive affect and pro-environmental behavior. In contrast, it remains unclear whether the induction of positive affect can causally promote pro-environmental behavior. Previous attempts to examine the effects of experimental affect induction were constrained by the difficulty to study pro-environmental behavior under controlled laboratory conditions. Here, we address this limitation by examining the effect of a validated affect-induction procedure on a recently validated laboratory measure of pro-environmental behavior. Participants in our preregistered experiment (N = 178) watched and rated video clips pretested to induce either positive or neutral affect before completing 24 trials on the Pro-Environmental Behavior Task (PEBT). Results did not reveal any evidence in support of a positive effect of positive affect on PEBT behavior. This result illustrates the need for further systematic and cumulative research on the complex relationship between affect and pro-environmental behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Lange, Florian & Dewitte, Siegfried, 2020. "Positive affect and pro-environmental behavior: A preregistered experiment," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:joepsy:v:80:y:2020:i:c:s0167487020300489
    DOI: 10.1016/j.joep.2020.102291
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Schmitt, Michael T. & Aknin, Lara B. & Axsen, Jonn & Shwom, Rachael L., 2018. "Unpacking the Relationships Between Pro-environmental Behavior, Life Satisfaction, and Perceived Ecological Threat," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 130-140.
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    3. Sonja Lyubomirsky & Heidi Lepper, 1999. "A Measure of Subjective Happiness: Preliminary Reliability and Construct Validation," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 46(2), pages 137-155, February.
    4. Welsch, Heinz & Kühling, Jan, 2010. "Pro-environmental behavior and rational consumer choice: Evidence from surveys of life satisfaction," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 405-420, June.
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    4. Haverkamp, Thilo K.G. & Welsch, Heinz & Ziegler, Andreas, 2023. "The relationship between climate protection activities, economic preferences, and life satisfaction: Empirical evidence for Germany," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    5. Sally V. Russell & Neal M. Ashkanasy, 2021. "Pulling on Heartstrings: Three Studies of the Effectiveness of Emotionally Framed Communication to Encourage Workplace Pro-Environmental Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-20, September.
    6. Florian Lange & Shimpei Iwasaki, 2020. "Validating the Pro-Environmental Behavior Task in a Japanese Sample," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-12, November.
    7. Xingping Cao & Junlin Qiu & Leyu Wang & Gefen Zhou, 2022. "An Integrative Model of Tourists’ Pro-Environmental Behavior Based on the Dual Path of Rational Planning and Embodied Emotion," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-19, June.
    8. Gimenez-Nadal, José Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto & Velilla, Jorge, 2023. "Pro-environment Attitudes and Worker Commuting Behavior," IZA Discussion Papers 16279, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Xi Ouyang & Wen’e Qi & Donghui Song & Jianjun Zhou, 2022. "Does Subjective Well-Being Promote Pro-Environmental Behaviors? Evidence from Rural Residents in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-19, May.

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