University of Twente Student Theses
Sustainability exposed: The Role of Ease of Retrieval in Pro-Environmental Behaviour
Pflieger, Marc (2024) Sustainability exposed: The Role of Ease of Retrieval in Pro-Environmental Behaviour.
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| Abstract: | Considering the contemporary environmental crises, reducing the negative impact of human activity on the environment is crucial. (Past) Pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) serves as an effective approach for promoting and determining future sustainability, hinging on factors like environmental self-identity (ESI), biospheric values, and personal norms. This study explores the influence of the Ease of Retrieval (EoR) manipulation, a subconscious method altering perceptions of past behaviour, on PEB. Hypotheses postulated (1) a relationship between EoR and PEB, moderated by environmental self-identity, (2) a moderation effect of diagnosticity, and (3) a mediation of personal norms in the link between ESI and pro-environmental behaviour. Energy-saving self-identity and energy-saving behaviour were employed alongside global ESI and global PEB to increase the level of specificity. The convenience sample (n = 71) was randomly distributed to four groups resulting from the 2 (EoR: easy vs difficult) x 2 (Diagnosticity: low vs high) between-participants design with the independent variables perceived EoR, ESI, energy-saving self-identity, personal norms, pro-environmental behaviour intention and energy-saving behaviour intention and biospheric values as a covariate. The researcher conducted a MANCOVA, moderated mediation analyses, mediation analyses and Sobel tests. Despite non-significant outcomes regarding H1 and H2, support was found for the mediation effect of personal norms. High environmental/energy-saving self-identities are connected to high personal norms which predict high pro-environmental/energy-saving behaviour intentions. Biospheric values emerged as a significant covariate. The study's outcomes emphasise the need for future research to address limitations, revise the retrieval task, and integrate environmental psychology with climate inequality research for comprehensive insights. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 10 humanities in general, 43 environmental science, 70 social sciences in general, 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology BSc (56604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/98069 |
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