Will Costliness Amplify the Signalling Strength of Past Pro-Environmental Behaviour? Exploratory Study on Autonomy

Abstract

Research has shown that the extent to which previous environmental actions are linked to people’s environmental self-identity influences subsequent environmentally-friendly behaviour. The study empirically examined the influences of recycling efforts on subsequent pro-environmental behaviour by PLS (partial least squares) structural equation modelling based on the survey data of 426 respondents in China. The results indicate that recycling efforts have a positive effect on pro-environmental behaviour through the mechanism of feelings of pride and environmental self-identity. We hypothesise that past pro-environmental behaviour is more likely to promote an individual’s environmental self-identity when the behaviour is incurred with a higher costliness. However, the results show that only when individuals autonomously perform costly recycling behaviour, the signalling strength of previous recycling efforts is higher to promote environmental self-identity. On the contrary, the high costliness weakens the signalling strength of previous recycling efforts through producing negative emotions. Our results show that when reminding people of their past pro-environmental behaviour in order to promote future pro-environmental behaviour, it is useful to emphasize the autonomously taken costliness of behaviour as it can strongly signal that one is a pro-environmental person, thus as to strengthen environmental self-identity.

Exploring the factors influencing the intention to clothing and textiles recycling among Chinese college students’: a study based on TPB and VBN

“…Items for attitude, subjective norms, behavioral intention and perceived behavioral control were drawn from research conducted by Conradie et al (2023) , Khan et al (2020) , Chu and Chen (2016) , and Nie et al (2020) . Items for self-identity were drawn from research conducted by Bai et al (2021) . Items for perceived policy effectiveness were drawn from research conducted by Shen et al (2022) and Liu et al (2017) .…”

Recycling Reinforced: The Synergistic Dynamics of Sustainable Behavior

“…Therefore, as pro-environmental behavior is a morally and socially desirable positive behavior, individuals will feel that they have contributed to progressing towards achieving environmental goals when actively engaged in pro-environmental behaviors, increasing their pride. Additionally, in their study involving 426 participants, Bai et al demonstrated a strong relationship between individuals' feelings of pride and their pro-environmental behaviors [8]. Therefore, the following hypothesis was proposed: H6.…”

“…Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory suggests that while individuals might strive for consistency in their actions, this does not always result in a sustained pattern of eco-friendly behavior [37,41]. However, the authors of [8] revealed that recycling efforts positively impact promoting environmentally friendly behaviors through mechanisms such as a sense of pride and environmental self-identity. However, negative emotions brought about by high costs diminish the effectiveness of previous recycling efforts, thereby weakening this perception.…”

“…Building upon the above-mentioned significance of recycling as a mechanism for addressing ecological concerns, pro-environmental behavior (PEB)-alternatively termed green, sustainable, or eco-friendly behavior-encompasses actions executed by individuals with the intent of environmental preservation [7]. Such behaviors manifest as conscientious interactions with the environment, including, but not limited to, the recycling of domestic refuse [8]. Moreover, these actions are crucial for reducing the harmful effects of climate change, are exemplified by choosing sustainable products, and are essential, not just supplementary, in tackling the complex challenges of global environmental changes [9,10].…”

“…Recent research has examined the factors influencing participation in recycling [4,[16][17][18]. Cases where previous pro-environmental actions restrict subsequent pro-environmental behaviors [8] demonstrate that consumers' recycling efforts in influencing pro-environmental behavior are determined by a series of intrinsic or extrinsic [19] or social motivations [20]. For instance, individuals conscious of their previous environmental actions may develop a more pronounced sense of environmental self-identity [21].…”