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Can Reflective Diary-Writing Increase Sufficiency-Oriented Consumption? A Longitudinal Intervention Addressing the Role of Basic Psychological Needs, Subjective Well-Being, and Time Affluence

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  • Josephine Tröger

    (Social, Environmental, and Economic Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Marlis C. Wullenkord

    (Social, Environmental, and Economic Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Clara Barthels

    (Social Cognition Center Cologne, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Cologne, Richard-Strauss-Straße 2, 50931 Cologne, Germany)

  • Rubina Steller

    (Social Cognition Center Cologne, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Cologne, Richard-Strauss-Straße 2, 50931 Cologne, Germany)

Abstract

Sufficiency is a sustainability strategy aiming for (1) a decrease in absolute resource consumption on individual and societal levels, and (2) for socio-ecological justice and the fair distribution of costs and benefits of resource use to meet every human’s basic needs. This study examined a longitudinal intervention to foster individual sufficiency orientation (i.e., a multidimensional construct including both attitudes towards the sufficiency sustainability strategy and corresponding behavioral intentions). We recruited N = 252 participants who participated in a one-week reflective diary-intervention to increase sufficiency orientation in everyday life and assessed sufficiency orientation, basic psychological need satisfaction, self-reflection, subjective well-being, and time affluence before (T1), directly after (T2), and four weeks after the intervention (T3). Contrary to our predictions, there was no significant difference between the experimental and the control group. Sufficiency orientation increased across groups. Basic psychological need satisfaction was the strongest predictor of sufficiency orientation. There were positive relations with subjective well-being. Targeting basic psychological need satisfaction, as a potential underlying driver of sufficiency orientation, seems to be a promising avenue for designing interventions. Employing a need-based, humanistic approach to designing psychological interventions is in line with the aims of sufficiency to meet every human’s basic needs, in a socio-ecologically just world.

Suggested Citation

  • Josephine Tröger & Marlis C. Wullenkord & Clara Barthels & Rubina Steller, 2021. "Can Reflective Diary-Writing Increase Sufficiency-Oriented Consumption? A Longitudinal Intervention Addressing the Role of Basic Psychological Needs, Subjective Well-Being, and Time Affluence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-20, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:9:p:4885-:d:544109
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    Cited by:

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    2. Baumgartner, Anne & Krysiak, Frank C. & Kuhlmey, Florian, 2022. "Sufficiency without regret," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    3. Jungell-Michelsson, Jessica & Heikkurinen, Pasi, 2022. "Sufficiency: A systematic literature review," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    4. Florian Lange & Cameron Brick, 2021. "Changing Pro-Environmental Behavior: Evidence from (Un)Successful Intervention Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-5, July.

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