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Sustainability Psychology and Behavioural Change
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Sustainability Psychology and Behavioural Change

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 13994

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Dorothea Schaffner

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Applied Psychology, Applied University of North Western Switzerland, Olten CH-4600, Switzerland
Interests: persuasion and decision-making; usage and effectiveness of digital media; virtual reality as a research tool (VTI-Lab); interventions and behavioural change; sustainability and pro-environmental behaviour; mobility behaviour; consumer behaviour and psychology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pressing issues in many sustainability domains, including climate change, environmental pollution, loss of biodiversity and exploitation of natural resources have their origins in human behaviour. Hence, the problems are largely caused by maladaptive behaviour in diverse areas of consumer and citizen behaviour such as mobility, food consumption, recycling, purchases of consumer goods, mobility, food consumption and household energy consumption. Thus, behavioural change can provide an important contribution to the mitigation of sustainability issues our societies are facing.

While there is ample literature on the effectiveness of behavioural change strategies in health psychology, a comprehensive investigation of these strategies to promote sustainability is missing. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to supplement existing literature with an insight into the latest findings on behavioural change and the role of psychological processes to move societies towards a more sustainable future. The Special Issue welcomes papers from all areas of behavioural change initiatives promoting sustainability: household energy consumption, food waste, travelling, mobility, recycling, sufficiency, consumer good consumption, investment decisions, food choices, etc. The papers of this Special Issue should provide insights for academics and practitioners alike in how to design effective interventions to promote sustainable behavioural change.

The focus lies on studies that provide empirical evidence for the effectiveness of behavioural change intervention strategies that address psychological determinants (i.e., attitudes, emotions, perceived opportunities, capability, values, norms, habits) and investigate various types of strategies (e.g., information provision, nudges, goal setting, penalties and rewards). We invite studies with various methodological research designs including experimental approaches, RCT, survey research and exploratory designs. The Special Issue explicitly welcomes contributions presenting studies with null results.

Prof. Dr. Dorothea Schaffner
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • household energy consumption
  • food waste
  • travelling
  • mobility
  • recycling
  • sufficiency
  • consumer good consumption
  • investment decisions
  • food choices
  • behavior change
  • intervention strategies

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 694 KiB  
Article
The Formation Mechanism of Social Identity Based on Knowledge Contribution in Online Knowledge Communities: Empirical Evidence from China
by Zhichao Cheng, Tongfei Gu and Cui Li
Sustainability 2022, 14(4), 2054; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14042054 - 11 Feb 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1528
Abstract
Social identity is a key factor in the sustainable development of online knowledge communities (OKCs). The purpose of this research is to explore the formation mechanism of the respective social identities of lurkers and posters, based on knowledge contribution behavior. To evaluate the [...] Read more.
Social identity is a key factor in the sustainable development of online knowledge communities (OKCs). The purpose of this research is to explore the formation mechanism of the respective social identities of lurkers and posters, based on knowledge contribution behavior. To evaluate the research model, an online survey was conducted in the WeChat group and QQ group, which yielded 469 usable questionnaire responses. Structural equation modeling was then adapted to examine the model. We found that knowledge contribution can produce social and psychological outcomes (i.e., cognitive communication, parasocial interaction, a sense of self-worth, social support, and social identity). The posters’ social identity arises through the mediating effects of information support and cognitive communication, while the lurkers’ social identity arises through the mediating effect of parasocial interaction. In addition, this research reveals that personalized behaviors and social identity can coexist in OKCs. Our findings may provide theoretical and practical enlightenment for managers to achieve sustainable and successful operations in OKCs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability Psychology and Behavioural Change)
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23 pages, 3058 KiB  
Article
Speaking Their Language: Does Environmental Signage Align to Personal Dimensions of Environmentally Responsible Behavior in Undergraduate Residence Halls?
by Erin Miller Hamilton and Apoorva Rane
Sustainability 2022, 14(4), 2025; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14042025 - 10 Feb 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1833
Abstract
Everyday environmental behaviors within the residential sphere contribute significantly to global carbon emissions. Understanding the factors underlying these behaviors is key to changing behavior. This paper examines undergraduate behavior in on-campus housing as a case study with the following aims: (1) to identify [...] Read more.
Everyday environmental behaviors within the residential sphere contribute significantly to global carbon emissions. Understanding the factors underlying these behaviors is key to changing behavior. This paper examines undergraduate behavior in on-campus housing as a case study with the following aims: (1) to identify the personal dimensions that underlie undergraduates’ environmentally responsible behaviors (ERBs) and (2) to determine if environmental signage in on-campus housing aligns with these existing personal dimensions. This study involved an online survey of ERBs, values, motivations, and knowledge of students in six residence halls. A content analysis of environmental signage examined how values and motivations were used to frame environmental messages. Comparisons were made to determine how the communications aligned to occupants’ values and motivations. Undergraduate ERBs are supported by subjects’ Biospheric values, Environmental Concern, and motivation to engage with Technology. Female subjects performed significantly more ERBs than male students. Male students placed a significantly higher value on Egoism, which was significantly associated with poorer environmental behaviors. Signage with behavioral appeals is a relatively cost-effective and prevalent intervention strategy. However, signage should be tailored to appeal to a range of values and motivations of the target audience, including students’ desires to interact with technology and the personal benefits of environmental responsibility. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability Psychology and Behavioural Change)
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13 pages, 287 KiB  
Article
Intergroup Sensitivity and Promoting Sustainable Consumption: Meat Eaters Reject Vegans’ Call for a Plant-Based Diet
by J. Lukas Thürmer, Juliane Stadler and Sean M. McCrea
Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1741; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14031741 - 02 Feb 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3659
Abstract
Reducing meat consumption can make immediate contributions to fighting the climate crisis. A growing minority adheres to meat-free diets and could convince others to follow suit. We argue, however, that recipients’ social identification as meat eaters may impede the effectiveness of such calls [...] Read more.
Reducing meat consumption can make immediate contributions to fighting the climate crisis. A growing minority adheres to meat-free diets and could convince others to follow suit. We argue, however, that recipients’ social identification as meat eaters may impede the effectiveness of such calls (i.e., an intergroup sensitivity effect based on dietary groups). Indeed, meat eaters in our experiment (N = 260) were more likely to reject calls for dietary change from a vegan than from a fellow meat eater. This effect was also evidenced in evaluations of and engagement with an initiative to promote a vegan diet (“Veganuary”), providing some indication for behavioral impact. In contrast, our societal dietary norm manipulation had no consistent effects on observed outcomes. Exploratory moderation analyses show a limited impact of participants’ social identification as meat eaters but highlight the role of peoples’ general willingness to engage in environmentally friendly behavior. We discuss theoretical and practical implications, including how our results challenge existing approaches to promoting a meat-reduced diet. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability Psychology and Behavioural Change)
18 pages, 1466 KiB  
Article
Psychological Barriers to Pro-Environmental Behaviour Change: A Review of Meat Consumption Behaviours
by Catherine Graves and Katy Roelich
Sustainability 2021, 13(21), 11582; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su132111582 - 20 Oct 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 6202
Abstract
Meat consumption behaviours contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions. Interventions to enable meat consumption reductions need to consider the psychological barriers preventing behavioural changes. Our aims were twofold; (1) to explore the psychological barriers to reducing meat consumption and how they can [...] Read more.
Meat consumption behaviours contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions. Interventions to enable meat consumption reductions need to consider the psychological barriers preventing behavioural changes. Our aims were twofold; (1) to explore the psychological barriers to reducing meat consumption and how they can be overcome through a Rapid Evidence Review; and (2) to explore the usefulness of integrating the Kollmuss and Agyeman (K&A) model of pro-environmental behaviour and psychological distance, which provides the analytical framework. This review utilised three databases, focussing on empirical studies since 2010, which returned 277 results with seven eligible studies. We found that habit is the most significant psychological barrier to change, however, values and attitudes could act as moderating variables. We found gaps in the behavioural mechanism, indicating the presence of direct and indirect psychological barriers. We identified several actionable policy recommendations, such as utilising co-benefits, the importance of values in messaging, and targeting repeated behaviours. We found that study outcomes did not always translate into policy recommendations, and they were limited by existing policy paradigms. Psychological distance provides additional explanatory power, when combined with the K&A model, therefore, integrating psychological distance across pro-environmental behavioural research and policy could improve the effectiveness of interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability Psychology and Behavioural Change)
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