For the Environment, Meaningfulness or for Fun?
Researchers: Lena Rieder, Daniela Becker, Rob Holland
In this study, scientists aimed to understand what motivates people to engage in pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs), such as recycling or vegetarian eating.
In the first part of the study, participants were asked to share their pleasant experiences (enjoyment of the behavior) and more meaningful experiences (such as feeling that they were doing something good for the environment) during various environmentally friendly activities. They found that individuals who had more enjoyable and meaningful experiences were more likely to exhibit pro-environmental behavior. However, the importance individuals placed on environmental goals did not predict how often they engaged in such behavior.
In the second part of the study, participants were provided with a vegetarian meal, and some were given information about how this choice benefits the environment, while others were encouraged to focus on the pleasure of eating. Both groups equally reduced their meat consumption after a week, indicating that both environmentally-focused and pleasure-focused approaches can be effective in promoting behavioral change.
In summary, highlighting the enjoyable and meaningful aspects of environmentally friendly behavior appears to encourage people to repeat such behavior more frequently, which is important for future initiatives aimed at promoting behavioral change.
Do you have any questions about this project? Please contact Daniela Becker