How Green Self Image Affects Subjective Well-Being: Pro-Environmental Values as a Social Norm

Heinz Welsch and Jan Kuehling ()
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Jan Kuehling: University of Oldenburg, Department of Economics
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Jan Kühling ()

No V-404-17, Working Papers from University of Oldenburg, Department of Economics

Abstract: Recent literature has found that individuals holding a greener self-image display higher levels of life satisfaction. We extend the single-country setting of that research to a transnational perspective and explore whether a relationship exists between green self-image (GSI) and life satisfaction (LS), both European-wide and at the national level. In order to explain differences in the GSI-LS relationship across nations and time, we study the role of pro-environmental values as a shared social norm. We find a significantly positive GSI-LS relationship in a pool of 35 European countries and in the majority of individual countries. In addition, we show that the well-being benefit of holding a green self-image is greater in societies that are less divided with respect to environmental attitudes, that is, where being green is a shared social norm.

Keywords: green self-image; subjective well-being; life satisfaction; social norm; social division (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017-10, Revised 2017-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cta, nep-env, nep-eur, nep-hap, nep-hme and nep-res
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Published in Oldenburg Working Papers V-404-17

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