Pro-environmental behavior and wellbeing meta-analysis
a meta-analysis of published and unpublished research examining the relation between pro-environm... more a meta-analysis of published and unpublished research examining the relation between pro-environmental behavior and wellbeing/happiness
The appliances people adopt, and the way they use them, can critically influence the sustainable ... more The appliances people adopt, and the way they use them, can critically influence the sustainable energy transition. People are often attracted to appliances with many setting options that offer them more control. Yet, operating many setting options can have negative consequences for users (e.g., user frustration) and the management of sustainable energy systems (e.g., unpredictable consumption increasing complexity and uncertainty of systems), which may obstruct sustainability goals. We aim to study how to reduce the preference for many setting options without reducing the perceived attractiveness of the appliance. In line with our theorizing we found that people opt for appliances with fewer setting options when they are asked to reflect on which options they would like to have from a list of possible setting options, while being equally satisfied with the appliance. In addition, we show that this is especially the case when asking people to select which setting options they would ...
The role of trust in public acceptability of energy projects: Integrity versus competence
Environmental Research Communications, 2022
Public acceptability of energy projects depends on people’s trust in agents responsible for those... more Public acceptability of energy projects depends on people’s trust in agents responsible for those projects. We examined to what extent different dimensions of trust, notably integrity- and competence-based trust, are associated with public acceptability of real ongoing energy projects associated with acute risks and other consequences. A series of questionnaire studies in the Netherlands revealed that both integrity- and competence-based trust were positively associated with public acceptability of natural gas extraction which causes earthquakes in the region. Yet, integrity-based trust was more strongly and consistently associated with public acceptability of the natural gas extraction compared to competence-based trust. The findings were rather consistent across four different measurement phases. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings.
The apparel industry causes environmental problems, particularly due to the shortening life cycle... more The apparel industry causes environmental problems, particularly due to the shortening life cycle of garments and fast-fashion’s throw-away culture. The circular economy provides solutions to minimise and prevent these problems through innovative circular business models, which require changes in consumer behaviours. With the lens of environmental psychology, we analyse consumers’ willingness to acquire circular apparel considering four approaches on clothing life-cycle extension. We conducted an online questionnaire among Brazilian and Dutch consumers and tested if the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory can explain the willingness of consumers to purchase circular apparel. Our results indicate that, overall, the variables from the VBN theory explain circular behaviour in the apparel industry and that the paths suggested by the model are supported by our analyses. Additionally, we tested and found that when all of the variables from the VBN theory were controlled for, materialistic valu...
De hedendaagse samenleving wordt steeds meer divers. Hoewel dit grote voordelen kan hebben, gaat ... more De hedendaagse samenleving wordt steeds meer divers. Hoewel dit grote voordelen kan hebben, gaat dit ook vaak gepaard met intolerantie. Waar veel verklaringen voor deze “lokale” intolerantie zich richten op de gedragingen van de dichtbije groepen zelf, laat dit proefschrift zien dat waargenomen dreigingen van situaties ver weg ook lokale intolerantie kunnen veroorzaken. Berichtgeving over de Islamitische Staat, Griekse schuldencrisis, of een mogelijke Turkse toetreding tot de EU heeft niet enkel invloed op hoe wij tegen deze – vaak verre – groepen aankijken, maar beinvloedt ook ons beeld over groepen in onze directe omgeving (bijvoorbeeld over Turkse, Marokkaanse en Indonesische Nederlanders). Berichtgeving over verre gebeurtenissen kunnen gevoelens van dreiging oproepen en die kunnen weer overslaan in lokale intolerantie. Deze intolerantie is voornamelijk gericht op dichtbije groepen die geassocieerd kunnen worden met de verre groep, omdat ze bijvoorbeeld een vergelijkbare cultuur ...
Biospheric group values (i.e., how concerned the average group member is with the natural environ... more Biospheric group values (i.e., how concerned the average group member is with the natural environment) can influence group members' engagement in pro-environmental behaviors. However, individuals may often be unaware of – and underestimate – the importance fellow group members attach to the environment, which could hamper their pro-environmental engagement. In a set of lab- and field-based studies (e.g., among festival goers, tourists, athletes, students), we examined this ‘misperception’ and experimentally tested whether information about the ingroup could strengthen the perceived centrality of specific values to the group (i.e., biospheric versus hedonic) and, thereby, influence members’ pro-environmental engagement. Our findings revealed that members indeed generally underestimate the centrality of biospheric values to other group members, unless the group is clearly construed around an environmental cause. In the latter case, members typically overestimate biospheric group v...
The value of what others value: How personal and group values relate to pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours
Personal values are considered stable predictors of environmental attitudes and behaviours (e.g.,... more Personal values are considered stable predictors of environmental attitudes and behaviours (e.g., Steg et al., 2014). In addition, group values are often used to characterize groups and compare them with each other (e.g., Schwartz & Bardi, 2001). However, only little is known about the influence of group values on individuals’ environmental attitudes and behaviours, and how personal and group values interact. Nonetheless, group values might have a key role in understanding and promoting pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours. Group memberships are considered to have a strong influence on individuals’ thoughts, feelings and behaviours, provide grounds for personally relevant self-other comparisons, offer ways to distinguish oneself from others, and form an important part of individuals’ self-concept (e.g., Turner et al., 1987). In addition, whereas it is hard to alter personal values, it might be easier to change individuals’ perceptions of what the group values. Thereby, group v...
Societal appreciation of energy security: Volume 1: Value of lost load – households (EE, NL and PT)
The report presents the results of a multi-country survey providing qualitative and quantitative ... more The report presents the results of a multi-country survey providing qualitative and quantitative information on the Value of Lost Load, an indicator of the economic value of unserved energy during electricity outages (blackouts). The point of view of residential consumers in the electricity market is explored through a discrete choice experiment. The results, in-line with other studies in this framework, highlight that respondents are willing to support further increases in the reliability and quality of electricity supply. Furthermore, consumers are found to have as aversion toward the possibility of losing their current security. Using a random parameter logit, we show that the ways to perceive the losses of security are remarkably dispersed. The survey was conducted in Estonia, the Netherlands and Portugal.
European perceptions of climate change: Linking values, concern, responsibility and action
The Bonn Climate Change conference put climate change again high on the world agenda, portraying ... more The Bonn Climate Change conference put climate change again high on the world agenda, portraying it as one of the – if not the – most worrying issues of our time. Ambitious climate goals set in the Paris Climate Agreement require substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emission, for which wide-scale changes in behaviors and policy support are needed. We investigate whether general feelings of environmental concern can lead to these required wide-scale changes. More specifically, we hypothesize that worry about climate change can contribute to changes in behaviors and policy support by strengthening individuals’ personal responsibility to reduce climate change. In addition, we tested the assumption that worries can be rooted in personal biospheric values. We used unique data from the European Social Survey Round 8, containing 34.837 responses representing 18 countries, to test our model. Across countries, results supported the predicted relationships between biospheric values, worry...
Disentangling pro-environmental behavior and wellbeing
Multiple studies have found a positive association between performing pro-environmental behaviors... more Multiple studies have found a positive association between performing pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) and subjective wellbeing. Recent evidence suggests this may be particularly true for PEBs that are social, visible, difficult, or costly. If helping the environment can also improve the wellbeing of people performing the behavior, this effect has potentially broad practical implications for polices and interventions aimed at promoting PEBs. However, relatively few of these studies have tested exactly why this relation may exist. We sought to replicate the relationship between pro-environmental behavior and wellbeing in the 2017 European Social Survey, which interviewed 34,047 respondents from 24 countries. The survey included common measures of wellbeing (life satisfaction and happiness) and two measures of PEB (how often respondents attempt to save energy and willingness to buy an energy efficient appliance). Neither PEB measure was meaningfully correlated with life satisfaction...
Pro-environmental behavior and wellbeing meta-analysis
a meta-analysis of published and unpublished research examining the relation between pro-environm... more a meta-analysis of published and unpublished research examining the relation between pro-environmental behavior and wellbeing/happiness
The appliances people adopt, and the way they use them, can critically influence the sustainable ... more The appliances people adopt, and the way they use them, can critically influence the sustainable energy transition. People are often attracted to appliances with many setting options that offer them more control. Yet, operating many setting options can have negative consequences for users (e.g., user frustration) and the management of sustainable energy systems (e.g., unpredictable consumption increasing complexity and uncertainty of systems), which may obstruct sustainability goals. We aim to study how to reduce the preference for many setting options without reducing the perceived attractiveness of the appliance. In line with our theorizing we found that people opt for appliances with fewer setting options when they are asked to reflect on which options they would like to have from a list of possible setting options, while being equally satisfied with the appliance. In addition, we show that this is especially the case when asking people to select which setting options they would ...
The role of trust in public acceptability of energy projects: Integrity versus competence
Environmental Research Communications, 2022
Public acceptability of energy projects depends on people’s trust in agents responsible for those... more Public acceptability of energy projects depends on people’s trust in agents responsible for those projects. We examined to what extent different dimensions of trust, notably integrity- and competence-based trust, are associated with public acceptability of real ongoing energy projects associated with acute risks and other consequences. A series of questionnaire studies in the Netherlands revealed that both integrity- and competence-based trust were positively associated with public acceptability of natural gas extraction which causes earthquakes in the region. Yet, integrity-based trust was more strongly and consistently associated with public acceptability of the natural gas extraction compared to competence-based trust. The findings were rather consistent across four different measurement phases. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings.
The apparel industry causes environmental problems, particularly due to the shortening life cycle... more The apparel industry causes environmental problems, particularly due to the shortening life cycle of garments and fast-fashion’s throw-away culture. The circular economy provides solutions to minimise and prevent these problems through innovative circular business models, which require changes in consumer behaviours. With the lens of environmental psychology, we analyse consumers’ willingness to acquire circular apparel considering four approaches on clothing life-cycle extension. We conducted an online questionnaire among Brazilian and Dutch consumers and tested if the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory can explain the willingness of consumers to purchase circular apparel. Our results indicate that, overall, the variables from the VBN theory explain circular behaviour in the apparel industry and that the paths suggested by the model are supported by our analyses. Additionally, we tested and found that when all of the variables from the VBN theory were controlled for, materialistic valu...
De hedendaagse samenleving wordt steeds meer divers. Hoewel dit grote voordelen kan hebben, gaat ... more De hedendaagse samenleving wordt steeds meer divers. Hoewel dit grote voordelen kan hebben, gaat dit ook vaak gepaard met intolerantie. Waar veel verklaringen voor deze “lokale” intolerantie zich richten op de gedragingen van de dichtbije groepen zelf, laat dit proefschrift zien dat waargenomen dreigingen van situaties ver weg ook lokale intolerantie kunnen veroorzaken. Berichtgeving over de Islamitische Staat, Griekse schuldencrisis, of een mogelijke Turkse toetreding tot de EU heeft niet enkel invloed op hoe wij tegen deze – vaak verre – groepen aankijken, maar beinvloedt ook ons beeld over groepen in onze directe omgeving (bijvoorbeeld over Turkse, Marokkaanse en Indonesische Nederlanders). Berichtgeving over verre gebeurtenissen kunnen gevoelens van dreiging oproepen en die kunnen weer overslaan in lokale intolerantie. Deze intolerantie is voornamelijk gericht op dichtbije groepen die geassocieerd kunnen worden met de verre groep, omdat ze bijvoorbeeld een vergelijkbare cultuur ...
Biospheric group values (i.e., how concerned the average group member is with the natural environ... more Biospheric group values (i.e., how concerned the average group member is with the natural environment) can influence group members' engagement in pro-environmental behaviors. However, individuals may often be unaware of – and underestimate – the importance fellow group members attach to the environment, which could hamper their pro-environmental engagement. In a set of lab- and field-based studies (e.g., among festival goers, tourists, athletes, students), we examined this ‘misperception’ and experimentally tested whether information about the ingroup could strengthen the perceived centrality of specific values to the group (i.e., biospheric versus hedonic) and, thereby, influence members’ pro-environmental engagement. Our findings revealed that members indeed generally underestimate the centrality of biospheric values to other group members, unless the group is clearly construed around an environmental cause. In the latter case, members typically overestimate biospheric group v...
The value of what others value: How personal and group values relate to pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours
Personal values are considered stable predictors of environmental attitudes and behaviours (e.g.,... more Personal values are considered stable predictors of environmental attitudes and behaviours (e.g., Steg et al., 2014). In addition, group values are often used to characterize groups and compare them with each other (e.g., Schwartz & Bardi, 2001). However, only little is known about the influence of group values on individuals’ environmental attitudes and behaviours, and how personal and group values interact. Nonetheless, group values might have a key role in understanding and promoting pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours. Group memberships are considered to have a strong influence on individuals’ thoughts, feelings and behaviours, provide grounds for personally relevant self-other comparisons, offer ways to distinguish oneself from others, and form an important part of individuals’ self-concept (e.g., Turner et al., 1987). In addition, whereas it is hard to alter personal values, it might be easier to change individuals’ perceptions of what the group values. Thereby, group v...
Societal appreciation of energy security: Volume 1: Value of lost load – households (EE, NL and PT)
The report presents the results of a multi-country survey providing qualitative and quantitative ... more The report presents the results of a multi-country survey providing qualitative and quantitative information on the Value of Lost Load, an indicator of the economic value of unserved energy during electricity outages (blackouts). The point of view of residential consumers in the electricity market is explored through a discrete choice experiment. The results, in-line with other studies in this framework, highlight that respondents are willing to support further increases in the reliability and quality of electricity supply. Furthermore, consumers are found to have as aversion toward the possibility of losing their current security. Using a random parameter logit, we show that the ways to perceive the losses of security are remarkably dispersed. The survey was conducted in Estonia, the Netherlands and Portugal.
European perceptions of climate change: Linking values, concern, responsibility and action
The Bonn Climate Change conference put climate change again high on the world agenda, portraying ... more The Bonn Climate Change conference put climate change again high on the world agenda, portraying it as one of the – if not the – most worrying issues of our time. Ambitious climate goals set in the Paris Climate Agreement require substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emission, for which wide-scale changes in behaviors and policy support are needed. We investigate whether general feelings of environmental concern can lead to these required wide-scale changes. More specifically, we hypothesize that worry about climate change can contribute to changes in behaviors and policy support by strengthening individuals’ personal responsibility to reduce climate change. In addition, we tested the assumption that worries can be rooted in personal biospheric values. We used unique data from the European Social Survey Round 8, containing 34.837 responses representing 18 countries, to test our model. Across countries, results supported the predicted relationships between biospheric values, worry...
Disentangling pro-environmental behavior and wellbeing
Multiple studies have found a positive association between performing pro-environmental behaviors... more Multiple studies have found a positive association between performing pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) and subjective wellbeing. Recent evidence suggests this may be particularly true for PEBs that are social, visible, difficult, or costly. If helping the environment can also improve the wellbeing of people performing the behavior, this effect has potentially broad practical implications for polices and interventions aimed at promoting PEBs. However, relatively few of these studies have tested exactly why this relation may exist. We sought to replicate the relationship between pro-environmental behavior and wellbeing in the 2017 European Social Survey, which interviewed 34,047 respondents from 24 countries. The survey included common measures of wellbeing (life satisfaction and happiness) and two measures of PEB (how often respondents attempt to save energy and willingness to buy an energy efficient appliance). Neither PEB measure was meaningfully correlated with life satisfaction...
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Papers by Thijs Bouman