Psychological Predictors of Energy Saving Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Approach

Understanding how psychological processes drive human energy choices is an urgent, and yet relatively under-investigated, need for contemporary society. A knowledge gap still persists on the links between psychological factors identified in earlier studies and people's behaviors in the energy d...

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Main Authors: Giuseppe Carrus, Lorenza Tiberio, Stefano Mastandrea, Parissa Chokrai, Immo Fritsche, Christian A. Klöckner, Torsten Masson, Stepan Vesely, Angelo Panno
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.648221/full
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author Giuseppe Carrus
Lorenza Tiberio
Stefano Mastandrea
Parissa Chokrai
Immo Fritsche
Christian A. Klöckner
Torsten Masson
Stepan Vesely
Angelo Panno
author_facet Giuseppe Carrus
Lorenza Tiberio
Stefano Mastandrea
Parissa Chokrai
Immo Fritsche
Christian A. Klöckner
Torsten Masson
Stepan Vesely
Angelo Panno
author_sort Giuseppe Carrus
collection DOAJ
description Understanding how psychological processes drive human energy choices is an urgent, and yet relatively under-investigated, need for contemporary society. A knowledge gap still persists on the links between psychological factors identified in earlier studies and people's behaviors in the energy domain. This research applies a meta-analytical procedure to assess the strength of the associations between five different classes of individual variables (i.e.,: attitudes, intentions, values, awareness, and emotions) and energy-saving behavioral intentions and behaviors (self-reported and actual). Based on a systematic review of studies published between 2007 and 2017, we estimate the average effect size of predictor-criterion relations, and we assess relevant moderators and publication bias, drawing on data obtained from 102 independent samples reported in 67 published studies (N = 59.948). Results from a series of five single meta-analyses reveal a pattern of significant positive associations between the selected psychological determinants and energy-saving indicators: associations between individual-level predictors and energy-saving outcomes are positive and moderate in size, ranging from large effects for emotions to small-moderate effects for pro-environmental values. Interestingly, moderation analysis reveals, among other things, that attitude-behavior links are not statistically significant when actual behavior is considered as an outcome. Implications for policy interventions are discussed.
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spelling doaj.art-1c0ff70233244b41b55799aab6d384152022-12-21T22:12:17ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782021-06-011210.3389/fpsyg.2021.648221648221Psychological Predictors of Energy Saving Behavior: A Meta-Analytic ApproachGiuseppe Carrus0Lorenza Tiberio1Stefano Mastandrea2Parissa Chokrai3Immo Fritsche4Christian A. Klöckner5Torsten Masson6Stepan Vesely7Angelo Panno8Department of Education, Experimental Psychology Laboratory, Roma Tre University, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Education, Experimental Psychology Laboratory, Roma Tre University, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Education, Experimental Psychology Laboratory, Roma Tre University, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, GermanyDepartment of Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, GermanyDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, NorwayDepartment of Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, GermanyDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, NorwayDepartment of Human Science, European University of Rome, Rome, ItalyUnderstanding how psychological processes drive human energy choices is an urgent, and yet relatively under-investigated, need for contemporary society. A knowledge gap still persists on the links between psychological factors identified in earlier studies and people's behaviors in the energy domain. This research applies a meta-analytical procedure to assess the strength of the associations between five different classes of individual variables (i.e.,: attitudes, intentions, values, awareness, and emotions) and energy-saving behavioral intentions and behaviors (self-reported and actual). Based on a systematic review of studies published between 2007 and 2017, we estimate the average effect size of predictor-criterion relations, and we assess relevant moderators and publication bias, drawing on data obtained from 102 independent samples reported in 67 published studies (N = 59.948). Results from a series of five single meta-analyses reveal a pattern of significant positive associations between the selected psychological determinants and energy-saving indicators: associations between individual-level predictors and energy-saving outcomes are positive and moderate in size, ranging from large effects for emotions to small-moderate effects for pro-environmental values. Interestingly, moderation analysis reveals, among other things, that attitude-behavior links are not statistically significant when actual behavior is considered as an outcome. Implications for policy interventions are discussed.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.648221/fullmeta-analysisenergy saving behaviorsattitudesintentionsvaluesawareness
spellingShingle Giuseppe Carrus
Lorenza Tiberio
Stefano Mastandrea
Parissa Chokrai
Immo Fritsche
Christian A. Klöckner
Torsten Masson
Stepan Vesely
Angelo Panno
Psychological Predictors of Energy Saving Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Approach
Frontiers in Psychology
meta-analysis
energy saving behaviors
attitudes
intentions
values
awareness
title Psychological Predictors of Energy Saving Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Approach
title_full Psychological Predictors of Energy Saving Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Approach
title_fullStr Psychological Predictors of Energy Saving Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Approach
title_full_unstemmed Psychological Predictors of Energy Saving Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Approach
title_short Psychological Predictors of Energy Saving Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Approach
title_sort psychological predictors of energy saving behavior a meta analytic approach
topic meta-analysis
energy saving behaviors
attitudes
intentions
values
awareness
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.648221/full
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