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Going Green (and Not Being Just More Pro-Social): Do Attitude and Personality Specifically Influence Pro-Environmental Behavior?

Author

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  • Jana S. Kesenheimer

    (Institute for Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria)

  • Tobias Greitemeyer

    (Institute for Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria)

Abstract

The current research examines the extent to which attitudes and personality traits are predictive of pro-environmental behavior (PEB). Concretely, we tested the relationship between pro-environmental attitudes, HEXACO personality traits, and actual PEB (donating potential prize money to a pro-environmental organization; N = 257). Additionally, we controlled for the influence of helping behavior (donating to a pro-social organization) by addressing whether attitudes and personality have a distinct impact on PEB or whether people are more likely to engage in PEB because they act more pro-socially in general. Analyses included correlations, multiple linear regressions, mediations, and partial correlations. Pro-environmental attitude had the most robust association with PEB and mediated the influence of openness to experiences and honesty–humility on PEB. Importantly, the relationship of pro-environmental attitudes and personality (openness to experiences and honesty–humility) with PEB was unaffected by the participant’s helping behavior, suggesting that pro-environmental people mainly care about the environment and are not necessarily more pro-social in general.

Suggested Citation

  • Jana S. Kesenheimer & Tobias Greitemeyer, 2021. "Going Green (and Not Being Just More Pro-Social): Do Attitude and Personality Specifically Influence Pro-Environmental Behavior?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-12, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:6:p:3560-:d:522452
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Jana Sophie Kesenheimer & Tobias Greitemeyer, 2020. "Ego or Eco? Neither Ecological nor Egoistic Appeals of Persuasive Climate Change Messages Impacted Pro-Environmental Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-15, December.
    5. Luis Miguel Fonseca & José Pedro Domingues & Alina Mihaela Dima, 2020. "Mapping the Sustainable Development Goals Relationships," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-15, April.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Ionela Maniu & Cătălina Costache & Dănuţ-Dumitru Dumitraşcu, 2021. "Adoption of Green Environmental Practices in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Entrepreneur and Business Policies Patterns in Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-21, April.
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    4. Yan Zhang & Jiangguo Du & Kofi Baah Boamah, 2023. "Green climate and pro‐environmental behavior: Addressing attitude‐behavior gaps towards promoting sustainable development," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(4), pages 2428-2445, August.
    5. Mircea Cătălin Dîrțu & Oara Prundeanu, 2023. "Narcissism and Pro-Environmental Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Self-Monitoring, Environmental Control and Attitudes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-16, January.
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    7. Stefanos Balaskas & Aliki Panagiotarou & Maria Rigou, 2023. "Impact of Environmental Concern, Emotional Appeals, and Attitude toward the Advertisement on the Intention to Buy Green Products: The Case of Younger Consumer Audiences," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-19, September.
    8. Picard, Julien & Banerjee, Sanchayan, 2026. "Unpacking the side effects of social norm nudges," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    9. Jan-Felix Palnau & Matthias Ziegler & Lena Lämmle, 2022. "You Are What You Eat and So Is Our Planet: Identifying Dietary Groups Based on Personality and Environmentalism," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-19, July.
    10. Scott Pruysers & Tobias Schminke & Gala Palavicini, 2025. "Personality traits and climate skepticism: evidence from Canada," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 178(3), pages 1-18, March.
    11. Bai, Yunxiao & Chen, Cheng & Li, Xiaoshuang & Liu, Moucheng, 2024. "Factors influencing the progressive adoption of integrated rice-fish systems by farmers and its relapse," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
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