Loading…
When Self-Perceived Efforts Lead to Perseverance: Implications for the Development of Pro-Environmental Behaviors
Many governments and non-governmental organizations are developing strategies encouraging individuals to take simple actions in favor of the environment: recycle, drink tap water, turn off lights, take slightly shorter showers, print on both sides, etc. However, we provide evidence suggesting that b...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Conference Proceeding |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Many governments and non-governmental organizations are developing strategies encouraging individuals to take simple actions in favor of the environment: recycle, drink tap water, turn off lights, take slightly shorter showers, print on both sides, etc. However, we provide evidence suggesting that behaviors that are perceived as effortful are more conducive to subsequent behavior change than simple, effortless behaviors. Actions that are perceived as effortful reinforce pro-environmental self-identity and in turn pro-environmental behavior (FEB). Existing empirical evidence suggests that effort spent on the process is related to more appreciation of the outcome (e.g. Norton, Mochon, & Ariely, 2012). Also, financial effort on an initial pro-social behavior, even accidental, increases the probability of subsequent pro-social behaviors (Gneezy, 2012). Observed effects could be explained by the self-signaling utility of effort. Self-signaling theory (Bénabou & Tirole, 2011; Bodner & Prelec, 2003) posits that individuals may choose to adopt certain behaviors for the diagnostic utility of these behaviors, i.e. what they reveal about themselves. Many studies have shown that our behaviors can serve not only as an identity revealer but also as a determinant by influencing our attitudes and our perception of ourselves (e.g. Bem, 1972; Carney, Cuddy, & Yap, 2010). In this research, we hypothesize that the more effortful a first PEB is the more it will increase individual's environmental self-identity - the extent to which a person sees herself as someone whose behaviors are environmentally friendly (Van der Werff, 2014) - and subsequent PEB. Three studies quantify the relationship between perceived effort of PEBs, environmental self-identify, and subsequent PEBs. Study one tests whether perceived past effort affects subsequent PEB. One hundred ninety-three participants, which approximated the Swiss population on demographic variables, were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions. In the effortful (effortless) condition, participants were asked to recall episodes where they felt they did something effortful (effortless) to reduce their energy consumption and then to describe one of these episodes and why it was effortful (effortless). Control participants were asked to recall things they did during the previous week and to describe one of these episodes. We measured subsequent PEB by offering participants the opportunity to donate (part of) their com |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0098-9258 |