I remember feeling elated when I was young about the potential of psychology in solving environmental problems. People are almost all responsible for climate change, air and groundwater pollution, deforestation, and depletion natural resources. I am an expert on how people think, feel and behave so psychology could be used to understand, prevent and treat environmental problems.
Because of my knowledge about the psychology behind pro-environmental attitudes, and behavior, I am now more pessimistic about our environment’s fate. Frankly, the psychological and social forces driving this environment are overwhelming. depreciative behavior (Behavior that harms nature) is far more powerful than the motivating forces pro-environmental behavior(Environmentally friendly behavior).
The Proenvironmental Concern – Behavior Gap
Students take a test on environmental concern in one class that I teach. Students consistently score high on a range of environmental issues, including climate change and its effects. They then complete a comprehensive personal sustainability behaviour inventory. Despite their high environmental concern, nearly all of them score poorly.
This is what psychologists call the “The” effect. Concern-behavior gap. Correlational studies show only small correlations between proenvironmental concern and proenvironmental behavior. These correlations typically range from.17 to.19. These small correlations suggest that environmental concern is not a strong predictor of proenvironmental behavior. The relationship is stronger if environmental concern is a major part of your identity.
Source: Shawn M. Burn
The Problem: Proenvironmental Behavior Blockades
When you consider all the barriers that prevent pro-environmental behavior, the concern-behavior gap doesn’t seem so mysterious. These barriers include:
- Competing attitudes barriers. People’s proenvironmental attitudes are often overshadowed by their desire for convenience, cost, pleasure, and depreciative actions. Some people enjoy the convenience of their SUV and their daily cup of coffee in a disposable cup. People with limited budgets may choose products that are cheaper than those that are more environmentally friendly. Because of their convenience, others are more attached to single-use plastics.
- Habit barriers. It is difficult to create new, positive-environmental behavior habits that are not already established. We are used to doing our routines mindlessly. It’s hard to remember to do something different at first.
- Ignorance barriers. People don’t always know that their behavior is depreciating, or how to behave proenvironmentally. Many people who are concerned about the environment are unaware of their own environmental impacts and what they can do to address them.
- Social norms barriers. Many people find it difficult to act proenvironmentally when they aren’t supported by their families, friends, or cultures. Climate change denial is a social convention in some political circles. Although switching to a plant based diet or reducing meat consumption can reduce our carbon footprint, many of my students feel that this is unacceptable socially in their families and their friends.
- Setting barriers. The setting influences our pro-environmental behavior and whether it encourages green behavior. Is it possible to recycle and compost in your area? Are compostable takeout containers available? Are there plant-based options at local restaurants? Are there any recycle containers at your workplace?
Psychologists have found ways to overcome these barriers. In theory, there are many solutions. However, in practice, we lack the support needed to develop and implement them on large scale.
Source: Shawn M. Burn
Problem: The Present Bias (and Other Biases)
To act sustainably, you must think about the future. It’s about playing the long-game to ensure your future and that of your children. People tend to be focused on what’s in front of them, on the now. They show the present biasThey will choose the depreciative behaviour with immediate rewards over the more sustainable behavior with results they won’t see immediately. The same goes for those who don’t like the idea. They won’t do the work.solution aversion) and if they don’t want to do it badly enough, they’ll ignore its environmental consequences.affect heuristic). Ironically, even though the short-term benefits of our depreciative behavior may seem trivial and unimportant (like convenience with single use plastics), we still prioritize these minor benefits over long-term cumulative cost and sustainability.
Source: Shawn M. Burn
The Problem: Perceived Lack Of Control
Another common reason for inaction? Perceived lack or control. Many people, groups, or organizations contribute to environmental problems. Individuals often feel that their actions are insignificant, a “drop in a bucket” and lack a sense of responsibility. This perception of lack of control, along with its corollaries, helplessness. passivity. and diffusion of accountability, fuel our inaction.
Source: Shawn M. Burn
The Problem: Selfishness and Social Traps
People are inclined to be selfish and this can explain some depreciative behavior. Individuals, companies, groups, and/or government can choose to share environmental resources (CommonsThey will do so in ways that benefit the public and ensure sustainability. They can also choose to act selfishly and exploit the commons for short-term benefits. When confronted with this, social dilemmaPeople will often choose the selfisher option. They reap all the benefits of depreciative behavior, while all those who share the commons bear the costs. They also believe that if others commons users behave selfishly, they might as well be doing the same. The problem is that commons shareholders acting selfishly will cause the resource to be destroyed or degraded. We call this a “abuse” Social trap).
Source: Shawn M. Burn
What Does This Mean for Us?
Despite my cynicism I believe we must be hopeful and encourage others to hope through our actions. Instead of making excuses for nothing, we can educate ourselves and empower others to act individually and politically for environmental sustainability (and our children).
Individuals can do many things to reduce environmental problems. This includes putting pressure on policymakers and corporations. There are numerous examples throughout history of people and groups working together to bring about important changes, even when they were blocked by the powerful.
I see it this way: if people don’t work harder, there is no hope for a sustainable tomorrow. If dire warnings do come, trying gives us hope and a clear conscience. You can still say that you tried when your children are grown up and face poor environmental quality, resource shortfalls, climate change and its wrath.
