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Validating the Pro-Environmental Behavior Task in a Japanese Sample

Author

Listed:
  • Florian Lange

    (Behavioral Engineering Research Group, Faculty of Economics and Business, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium)

  • Shimpei Iwasaki

    (Department of Environmental Science, Fukuoka Women’s University, Fukuoka 813-8529, Japan)

Abstract

Controlled experimentation is critical for understanding the causal determinants of pro-environmental behavior. However, the potential of experimental pro-environmental behavior research is limited by the difficulty to observe pro-environmental behavior under controlled conditions. The Pro-Environmental Behavior Task (PEBT) was developed to address this limitation by facilitating the experimental analysis of pro-environmental behavior in the laboratory. Previous studies in Belgian samples have already supported the validity of the PEBT as a procedure for the study of actual pro-environmental behavior. Here, we aimed for a cross-cultural replication of this finding in a sample of N = 103 Japanese college students. Along the lines of previous studies, we found PEBT choice behavior to be sensitive to within-subject manipulations of its behavioral costs and environmental benefits. This implies that participants take these consequences into account when choosing between PEBT options. In addition, we showed, for the first time, that such consequence effects can also be detected in a less powerful between-subjects design. These results support the generality of consequence effects on PEBT choice behavior as well as the validity and utility of the PEBT for use in samples from different cultural backgrounds.

Suggested Citation

  • Florian Lange & Shimpei Iwasaki, 2020. "Validating the Pro-Environmental Behavior Task in a Japanese Sample," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-12, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:22:p:9534-:d:445880
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lange, Florian & Dewitte, Siegfried, 2020. "Positive affect and pro-environmental behavior: A preregistered experiment," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    2. Atar Herziger & Erik Hoelzl, 2017. "Underestimated Habits: Hypothetical Choice Design in Consumer Research," Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, University of Chicago Press, vol. 2(3), pages 359-370.
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    4. Verena Tiefenbeck & Lorenz Goette & Kathrin Degen & Vojkan Tasic & Elgar Fleisch & Rafael Lalive & Thorsten Staake, 2018. "Overcoming Salience Bias: How Real-Time Feedback Fosters Resource Conservation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(3), pages 1458-1476, March.
    5. Andrea C. Morales & On Amir & Leonard Lee, 2017. "Keeping It Real in Experimental Research—Understanding When, Where, and How to Enhance Realism and Measure Consumer Behavior," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 44(2), pages 465-476.
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    Cited by:

    1. Israel-Javier Juma-Michilena & Maria-Eugenia Ruiz-Molina & Irene Gil-Saura & Sergio Belda-Miquel, 2024. "Pro-environmental behaviours of generation Z: A cross-cultural approach," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 21(3), pages 1-29, September.

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