2023 Volume 2022 Issue 2 Pages 13-22
This study analyzed the effects of psychological variability on environmental behavior stability from a behavioral economic perspective, regarding the process of consumers' environmental behavior. We focused on two points: (1) self-pluralism inhibits consistent environmental behavior, and (2) ego depletion reduces motivation for environmental behavior, even among eco-conscious individuals. Four types of environmental behaviors were selected: waste reduction, recycling, electricity saving, and purchasing energy-saving products. Multiple regression analysis was used to clarify the relationship between each behavior and psychological variability. This study identified the discrepancy between behavioral intentions and behavior, which was not discussed in previous research on psychological processes of environmental behavior, and indicated that the two psychological variables influence the reduction of environmental behavior frequency. In addition, some sociodemographic characteristics and environmental behavior types moderated the reduction in behavior frequency. These results indicated ways to increase the stability of an individual's environmental behavior, ultimately leading to a long-term upward trend in environmental behavior.
