2209 - EXPLORING THE PROSPECTIVE LINK BETWEEN SELF-TRANSCENDENT EMOTIONS AND PRO-ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIOUR: A THREE WAVES LONGITUDINAL STUDY

Session: D04S011 - Pro-Environmental Motivation 1
AUTHORS:
Unanue Wenceslao (Business School, Universidad Adolfo Ibañez ~ Santiago ~ Chile)
Abstract text:
Recent research has theorized that three self-transcendent emotions (STEs; i.e., gratitude, compassion, owe) could predict human pro-environmental behaviour (PEB). Unfortunately, up to our knowledge, no previous studies have empirically examined link between STEs PEB neither longitudinally nor simultaneously. Thus, in a three-wave longitudinal study among a representative sample of adults in Chile (n: T1 = 1477, T2 = 820, T3 = 487), we tested the reciprocal relations between gratitude, compassion, owe and PEB, using cross-lagged panel analysis. First, we tested the link between each STE and PEB in three separate models. Our results showed that, taken individually, neither compassion nor owe predicted PEB. We found that only gratitude prospectively predicted PEB. Unexpectedly, we also found that higher PEB predicted longitudinally higher levels of gratitude, compassion and owe. Second, we entered simultaneously into the same models, all four constructs. This more stringent model replicated previous results. In other words, we found that only higher gratitude predicted higher PEB. Unexpectedly again, we also found that PEB predicted higher levels of gratitude, compassion and owe. Our results thus advance research on PEB in two ways. Firstly, we found a novel predictor of PEB (i.e., gratitude). Secondly, we found new positive consequences of PEB. PEBs are not only important for the sustainability of the planet Earth. PEBs may also help to live a better life by increasing key determinants of human flourishing and well-being (i.e., gratitude, compassion and owe) dynamically over time.