Mindfulness and Sustainable Behavior: Pondering Attention and Awareness as Means for Increasing Green Behavior
- 1 March 2009
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Mary Ann Liebert Inc in Ecopsychology
- Vol. 1 (1), 14-25
- https://doi.org/10.1089/eco.2008.0005
Abstract
Ecopsychologists have suggested that mindful awareness of our interdependence with nature may not only help us regain our lost, ecologically embedded identity (Roszak, 1992) but may also help us behave more sustainably, closing the documented gap between proenvironmental attitudes and behaviors. We suggest more specifically that, in contemporary consumer culture with its dearth of proenvironmental norms and cues, mindful attentiveness may be necessary to develop sustainable habits. To explore the connection between mindfulness and sustainable behavior, we measured 100 adults attending a Midwestern sustainability expo on two mindfulness factors: acting with awareness and observing sensations. As predicted, acting with awareness was significantly positively correlated with self-reported sustainable behavior. This finding is consistent with the idea that, until sustainable decisions become the societal default, their enactment may depend on focused consideration of options and mindful behavior. In contrast, observing sensations did not predict behavior. This calls into question the notion that feeling connected to the world outside of ourselves is a precondition for sustainable action. We call for more research to further test the validity and generalizability of our findings.Keywords
This publication has 36 references indexed in Scilit:
- Mindfulness and the Intention-Behavior Relationship Within the Theory of Planned BehaviorPersonality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2007
- Frames and brains: elicitation and control of response tendenciesTrends in Cognitive Sciences, 2007
- Thinking About Global WarmingClimatic Change, 2006
- Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness MeditationPsychosomatic Medicine, 2003
- Mindfulness and Quasi-Religious Meaning Systems: An Empirical Exploration within the Context of Ecological Sustainability and Deep EcologyJournal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 1999
- Attitude Versus General Habit: Antecedents of Travel Mode Choice1Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 1994
- Affect and PersuasionAmerican Behavioral Scientist, 1988
- Analysis and Synthesis of Research on Responsible Environmental Behavior: A Meta-AnalysisThe Journal of Environmental Education, 1987
- Visitor centres and environmental interpretation: An exploration of the relationships among visitor enjoyment, understanding and mindfulnessJournal of Environmental Psychology, 1986
- Selected Predictors of Responsible Environmental Behavior: An AnalysisThe Journal of Environmental Education, 1986