Gratitude as a predictor of pro-environmental behaviour? A survey investigation considering the role of environmental values and nature connectedness
Nicole Lee, Annalisa Setti and Marica Cassarino
Citation: Lee, N., Setti, A., & Cassarino, M. (2022). Gratitude as a predictor of pro-environmental behaviour? A survey investigation considering the role of environmental values and nature connectedness. Journal of Ecopsychology, 2, 2, 1-12. https://joe.nationalwellbeingservice.com/volumes/volume-2-2022/volume-2-article-2/
Processing dates: Submitted 11th August 2021; Resubmitted 14th September 2021; Accepted 22nd October 2021; Published: 31st January 2022
Abstract
Background: Implementation of effective environmental policies requires an understanding of
the psychological factors predisposing people to engage in pro-environmental behaviour (PEB).
Dispositional gratitude, a psychological resource strongly associated with prosocial behaviour, holds
promise as a psychological antecedent of PEB. While nature relatedness and environmental values
have received a lot of attention in research about PEB, gratitude remains underexplored. Informed
by advancements in Ecopsychology, the present study investigated the relationship between
dispositional gratitude and PEB, while also looking at the potential moderating roles of nature
relatedness and environmental value orientation.
Methods: A convenience sample of 229 adults, recruited via social media and email, completed an
online survey including measures of PEB, dispositional gratitude, environmental value orientation
(biospheric, egoistic, hedonic, and altruistic values) and nature relatedness. Correlational and
regression analyses were conducted to test the associations.
Results: Gratitude exhibited a statistically significant, although weak, correlation with PEB,
suggesting that dispositionally grateful individuals engaged in more PEB (r = 0.29; p < .001).
However, in multivariate regression analyses the effect of gratitude disappeared, while biospheric
values and nature relatedness remained the strongest predictors of PEB.
Conclusion: The results provide preliminary insight into the relationship between dispositional
gratitude and PEB, and act to further substantiate the valuable roles of nature relatedness and
biospheric values in predicting PEB. Further research will help to clarify the role of gratitude as a
potential psychological resource to foster as part of interventions to promote PEB.
Keywords: Gratitude; Pro-Environmental Behaviour; Positive Psychology; Values; Nature Relatedness.
Biographies
Nicole Lee is with the Environmental Research Institute and the School of Applied Psychology, Cork Enterprise Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Email: 119224456@umail.ucc.ie
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4109-8046
Annalisa Setti is with the Environmental Research Institute and the School of Applied Psychology, Cork Enterprise Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Email: a.setti@ucc.ie http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9741-2559
Marica Cassarino is with the School of Applied Psychology, Cork Enterprise Centre, University College
Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Email: mcassarino@ucc.ie http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1624-921X