5 th Biannual Conference on Environmental Psychology Eindhoven

5 th Biannual Conference on Environmental Psychology. Eindhoven, 31. 8. - 3. 9. 2003 Sustainable Consumption Behavior Well-being and Meaningfulness Authors: Katharina Klik (katharina. klik@univie. ac. at) Ulrike Lanmueller (ulrike. lanmueller@univie. ac. at) Cervinka Renate (renate. cervinka@univie. ac. at) Institute of Environmental Health, University of Vienna Head: Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Groll-Knapp http: //www. univie. ac. at/umwelthygiene/ Fig. 1: sample: Objectives: • Analysis of the relationship between sustainable consumption behavior and well- being. Background: • Sustainable consumption behavior is defined as ecological- and socially-friendly behavior*. • The results of the studies of Sohr (2001) and Eigner (2001) showed that people with high engagement in ecological or social activities reported about high well-being. • Degenhardt (2002) lightet up Sustainable Lifestyle Pioneers, who achieved to transfer an Fig. 2: Theory of Mental Health (Becker, 1989): ecological and social friendly lifestyle into praxis. A relationship between sustainable behavior and well-being is supposed. Method (questionnaire): • Participants: N=282; (fig. 1) • Well-being was measured according to Becker´s (1989) theory of mental health: Meaningfulness vs. Depression (12 items), Self-obliviousness vs. Self-centeredness (8 items) and Freedom of Distress vs. Nervousness (11 items) (fig. 2). • Sustainable Consumption Behavior was measured with 10 items of the General Ecological Behavior Scale (Kaiser, Frick & Stoll-Kleemann, 2001). 11 items related to socially -friendly consumption behavior were developed according to descriptive literature * on sustainable development. (table 1) Fig. 3: Correlations: Table 1: Examples of items of Sustainble Consumption Behavior: > I change services (e. g. baby-sitting, computer services, repaires, etc. ). > I use energy saving bulbs. > I buy fair-trade products. > If I buy products, I attend to their social production conditions (e. g. child labour, social friendly working conditions). > I use fabric softener with my laundry. * Pearson 0, 01 *p < 0, 05; **p < Fig. 4: Regression analysis of Sustainable Consumption Behavior and Wellbeing: 1, 4 e =ecological friendly behavior s = socially friendly behavior *variable was recoded Main results: • The Sustainable Consumption Behavior Scale shows an internal consistency (Cronbach´s alpha) of 0. 86. • Sustainable Consumption Behavior correlates with Well-being and Meaningfulness vs. Depression statistically significant (fig. 3). • Only a minor proportion of the variance of Sustainable Consumption Behavior is explained by Well-being and Meaningfulness vs. Depression (fig. 4). • People with higher scores in Meaningfulness compared to people with lower scores show a statistically significant difference in Sustainable Consumption Behavior. (fig. 5) Fig. 5: Differences between people with higher and lower Meaningfulness respectively Sustainable consumption behavior comes along with. . . higher Well-being, Meaningfulness, higher age and females. (fig. 4) Discussion & perspectives: N All considered relationships are weak. Among them, Meaningfulness appears to be the strongest predictor of Sustainable Consumption Behavior. N Older respondents and women more often report they act in a sustainable way. N Meaningfulness and Well-being offer new and promising perspectives for the research of sustainable development. N The weak relationship between Sustainable Consumption Behavior and subjective Well- being or Meaningfulness respectively suggests that the scales assess different characteristics of consumers. For further investigations aspects of health-related behavior should be considered as a part of sustainable behavior. N In accordance with Gatersleben, Steg & Vlek (2002) the psychological assessment of sustainable behavior should take the environmental and social impact of products and services into account. References: Degenhardt, L. (2002). Why do people orient their toward the criteria of sustainable development? Results of an empirical survey about motivation and development of sustainable lifestyles. In P. Schmuck & W. Schultz (Eds. ), The Psychology of Sustainable Development. Kluwer Academic Publishers. Eigner, S. (2001). The relationship between ”protecting the environment” as a dominant life goal and subjective well-being. In P. Schmuck & K. M. Sheldon, Life Goals and Well-Being. Towards a Positive Psychology of Human Striving. Göttingen: Hogrefe. Gattersleben, B. , Steg, L. & Vlek, C. (2002). Measurement and determinants of environmentally significant consumer behavior. Environment and behavior, Vol. 34 No. 3, 335 -362. Jakubowicz, D. (2000). Genuß und Nachhaltigkeit. Wien: Promedia. 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