Stepping Outside the Self Promotes Pro-Environmental Behaviors

Chenxuan Hou, Emine Sarigöllü, Myung-Soo Jo and Dapeng Liang
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Chenxuan Hou: Harbin Institute of Technology, School of Management, 92 West Dazhi Street, Nan Gang District, Harbin 150001, China
Emine Sarigöllü: Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University, 1001 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC H3A 1G5, Canada
Myung-Soo Jo: Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University, 1001 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC H3A 1G5, Canada
Dapeng Liang: Harbin Institute of Technology, School of Management, 92 West Dazhi Street, Nan Gang District, Harbin 150001, China

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 9, 1-15

Abstract: Although different self-perspectives can prompt different mindsets, leading to different responses, little is known about how self-perspective impacts pro-environmental behaviors. This study explores the effect of self-perspective, i.e., either self-immersed or self-distanced perspective, on environmental attitudes and behavior. Based on an online survey of 409 respondents in the United States, we find that pro-environmental behaviors are perceived as more important and less costly from a self-distanced perspective, compared to a self-immersed one, which in turn facilitates more engagement in pro-environmental behaviors. Furthermore, a self-distanced perspective is more prevalent than a self-immersed perspective when individuals are less satisfied with and perceive less control over their pro-environmental behaviors. This study extends the self-perspective theory to research on pro-environmental behaviors, and offers useful implications for individuals to address conflicts between environmental and self-interested considerations, as well as for public policy makers and practitioners to promote more engagement in pro-environmental behaviors.

Keywords: self-perspective; self-immersed perspective; self-distanced perspective; satisfaction; perceived behavioral control; pro-environmental behavior (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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