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Understanding the Environmental Attitude-Behaviour Gap: The Moderating Role of Dispositional Mindfulness

Author

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  • Serena Lidia Colombo

    (Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Salvatore Gaetano Chiarella

    (Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
    Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (ISTC), National Research Council (CNR), Via S. Martino della Battaglia, 44, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Antonino Raffone

    (Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
    School of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy, and Comparative Religions, Nalanda University, Rajgir 803116, India)

  • Luca Simione

    (Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (ISTC), National Research Council (CNR), Via S. Martino della Battaglia, 44, 00185 Rome, Italy)

Abstract

Great scientific effort has been devoted to understanding what drives pro-environmental behaviour, yet the question of the environmental attitude–behaviour gap remains unanswered. Studies have indicated that self-regulation and executive functions may reduce such a gap by increasing individuals’ ability to maintain attention on present actions and to resist goal-conflicting temptations. Given the inherent association of self-regulation and executive functions with dispositional mindfulness, we carried out a cross-sectional study to test the hypothesis of the role of dispositional mindfulness in explaining the phenomenon. Our results showed that higher levels of dispositional mindfulness, measured via the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), are related to a higher tendency to perform pro-environmental behaviour, and that the observing facet of the construct would predict higher pro-environmental behaviour scores. Interestingly, we also found the acting with awareness and nonjudging factors to be moderators of the relationship between pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours, suggesting that enhanced awareness of the present moment may favour higher congruence between attitudes and behaviours, and that higher acceptance may favour more adaptive coping strategies to the climate challenge. Our findings provide a novel contribution to the understanding of the relationship between mindfulness and pro-environmental behaviour and support the perspective that self-regulation skills would contribute to reducing the environmental attitude–behaviour gap.

Suggested Citation

  • Serena Lidia Colombo & Salvatore Gaetano Chiarella & Antonino Raffone & Luca Simione, 2023. "Understanding the Environmental Attitude-Behaviour Gap: The Moderating Role of Dispositional Mindfulness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-12, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:9:p:7285-:d:1134457
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    2. Elisa Menardo & Margherita Brondino & Margherita Pasini, 2020. "Adaptation and psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Pro-Environmental Behaviours Scale (PEBS)," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(7), pages 6907-6930, October.
    3. Kirk Brown & Tim Kasser, 2005. "Are Psychological and Ecological Well-being Compatible? The Role of Values, Mindfulness, and Lifestyle," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 74(2), pages 349-368, November.
    4. Dhandra, Tavleen Kaur, 2019. "Achieving triple dividend through mindfulness: More sustainable consumption, less unsustainable consumption and more life satisfaction," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 83-90.
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    1. Serena L. Colombo & Salvatore G. Chiarella & Camille Lefrançois & Jacques Fradin & Antonino Raffone & Luca Simione, 2023. "Why Knowing about Climate Change Is Not Enough to Change: A Perspective Paper on the Factors Explaining the Environmental Knowledge-Action Gap," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-17, October.

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