IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i7p2915-d1367963.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Do Biospheric Values Moderate the Impact of Information Appeals on Pro-Environmental Behavioral Intentions?

Author

Listed:
  • Nora Anicker

    (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Applied Science, 33619 Bielefeld, Germany)

  • Sebastian Bamberg

    (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Applied Science, 33619 Bielefeld, Germany)

  • Peter Pütz

    (Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany)

  • Gerd Bohner

    (Department of Psychology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany)

Abstract

Information-based interventions are still the most commonly used intervention approach to motivate people to engage in pro-environmental behaviors. However, recently, researchers assume that the effectiveness of such information depends on the extent to which recipients endorse biospheric values (the so-called ‘values-as-moderator’ hypothesis). If this hypothesis is correct, it would have important implications for the use of information appeals: they could not motivate the entire population, but only those population groups with high biospheric values. Two experimental studies using case vignettes were conducted to investigate the effects of biospheric values prioritization, an informational and a socio-normative appeal, as well as the interaction between biospheric values and those two interventions on two different pro-environmental behavioral intentions: everyday ‘low-cost’ behavior of purchasing (organic) coffee (Study 1) and the more difficult ‘high-cost’ behavior of adopting a heating style that prevents rebound effects (Study 2). In Study 1 we additionally examined the influence of the degree of privacy in which a behavior takes place on the purchase intention. Both studies were conducted as online survey studies in Germany. A total of 800 participants took part in each study. We used moderated logistic regression models to examine the main and interaction effects of biospheric values and the two different appeals on participants’ pro-environmental behavioral intentions. Both studies showed a significant main effect of the informational appeal on pro-environmental behavioral intentions. In Study 1, but not in Study 2, the main effect of the socio-normative appeal was also significant, especially if the purchase decision took place in a public space. However, no consistent evidence of a meaningful effect of biospheric values was found: the main effect of biospheric values was statistically significant only in Study 1, and the postulated interactions between biospheric values and interventions were not statistically significant in either study. Further theoretical and practical implications of the reported results are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Nora Anicker & Sebastian Bamberg & Peter Pütz & Gerd Bohner, 2024. "Do Biospheric Values Moderate the Impact of Information Appeals on Pro-Environmental Behavioral Intentions?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-18, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:7:p:2915-:d:1367963
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/7/2915/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/7/2915/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Du, Qiang & Han, Xiao & Li, Yi & Li, Zhe & Xia, Bo & Guo, Xiqian, 2021. "The energy rebound effect of residential buildings: Evidence from urban and rural areas in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Fanli Jia, 2025. "Integrating Interdisciplinary Insights into Sustainability: Psychological, Cultural, and Social Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-6, March.
    2. Sana Alashiq & Hasan Yousef Aljuhmani, 2025. "From Sustainable Tourism to Social Engagement: A Value-Belief-Norm Approach to the Roles of Environmental Knowledge, Eco-Destination Image, and Biospheric Value," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-28, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Meiyan Wang & Chen Chen & Bingxin Fan & Zilu Yin & Wenxuan Li & Huifang Wang & Fang’ai Chi, 2023. "Multi-Objective Optimization of Envelope Design of Rural Tourism Buildings in Southeastern Coastal Areas of China Based on NSGA-II Algorithm and Entropy-Based TOPSIS Method," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-27, April.
    2. Huang, Chenchen & Lin, Boqiang, 2025. "The impact of digital economy on energy rebound effect in China: A stochastic energy demand frontier approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    3. Tiantian Du & Yan Jiao & Yue Zhang & Ziyu Jia & Jueqi Wang & Jinhao Zhang & Zheng Cheng, 2024. "Approach for Calculating and Analyzing Carbon Emissions and Sinks of Villages: A Case Study in Northern China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-23, May.
    4. Wang, Shuye & de Souza, Clarice Bleil & Golubchikov, Oleg, 2025. "Recent advances in decarbonising heating in rural China: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 210(C).
    5. Gašper Stegnar, 2025. "Strategic Prioritization of Residential Buildings for Equitable and Sustainable Renovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-39, March.
    6. Lin, Boqiang & Zhu, Penghu, 2021. "Measurement of the direct rebound effect of residential electricity consumption: An empirical study based on the China family panel studies," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 301(C).
    7. Wang, Libo & Zhang, Hongxia & Xia, Ming & Ma, Jianhong, 2025. "Can Chinese household consumption become more energy efficient? Analysis based on input–output and demand system models," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    8. Jia, Zhijie & Wen, Shiyan & Lin, Boqiang, 2021. "The effects and reacts of COVID-19 pandemic and international oil price on energy, economy, and environment in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 302(C).
    9. Alettin Irmak & Nurlan Kurmanov & Onaikhan Zhadigerova & Zukhra Turdiyeva & Aigul Bakirbekova & Gaukhar Saimagambetova & Assilbek Baidakov & Aigul Mukhamejanova & Madina Tolysbayeva & Sagyngali Seitzh, 2023. "Shaping Energy-Saving Behavior in Education System: A Systematic Review," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 13(4), pages 46-60, July.
    10. Kong, Li & Mu, Xianzhong & Hu, Guangwen & Tu, Chuang, 2023. "Will energy efficiency improvements reduce energy consumption? Perspective of rebound effect and evidence from beijing," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PA).
    11. Chi, Fang'ai & Wu, Yun, 2025. "Residential buildings integrated with SPVP and RCL towards energy saving," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    12. Anil Balikci & Yuri Borgianni & Lorenzo Maccioni & Chiara Nezzi, 2021. "A Framework of Unsustainable Behaviors to Support Product Eco-Design," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-19, October.
    13. Du, Qiang & Wang, Yalei & Pang, Qiaoyu & Hao, Tingting & Zhou, Yuqing, 2023. "The dynamic analysis on low-carbon building adoption under emission trading scheme," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PC).
    14. repec:bge:wpaper:1499 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Peng, Honggang & Xiao, Zhi & Wang, Jianqiang & Li, Jian, 2021. "A decision support framework for new energy selection in rural areas from the perspectives of information reliability and criterion non-compensation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 235(C).
    16. Kong, Li & Hu, Guangwen & Mu, Xianzhong & Li, Guohao & Zhang, Zheng, 2023. "The energy rebound effect in households: Evidence from urban and rural areas in Beijing," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 343(C).
    17. Zhu, Minglei & Huang, Haiyan & Ma, Weiwen, 2023. "Transformation of natural resource use: Moving towards sustainability through ICT-based improvements in green total factor energy efficiency," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:7:p:2915-:d:1367963. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.