Abstract

CORRAL-VERDUGO, Victor; GARCIA, Fernanda I.; TAPIA-FONLLEM, Cesar  and  FRAIJO-SING, Blanca. Sustainable Behaviors and Perceived Psychological Restoration. Acta de investigación psicol [online]. 2012, vol.2, n.2, pp.749-764. ISSN 2007-4719.

This study was aimed at exploring one potential psychological benefit of sustainable behaviors: the perceived psychological restoration (PR) associated to engaging in pro-environmental activities at both the physical and social levels. PR involves the recovery of lost psychological resources (attention, positive mood states, psychological wellbeing) mostly caused by attentional fatigue and stress, while sustainable behavior constitutes a set of actions aimed at the protection of natural and social resources. One-hundred- and thirty-seven individuals living in a Northern Mexican city participated in a study assessing four instances of sustainable behavior: altruistic, proecological, frugal, and equitable actions. In addition, four dimensions of a construct related to the perceived psychological restorative effects of sustainable behaviors were measured: being away, fascination, extent and compatibility, assumedly resulting from pro-environmental and pro-social actions. Using structural equation modeling, the first four constructs were aggregated into a higher-order factor (sustainable behavior), while the rest of the constructs constituted a second higher-order factor (perceived restoration). These two higher-order factors resulted highly and significantly associated, indicating that practicing actions of environmental and social conservation might likely result in the restoration of lost psychological functions. These results reinforce the idea that sustainable behavior produces positive psychological consequences.

Keywords : Perceived restoration; Sustainable behavior; Altruism; Equity; Frugality.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in English     · English ( pdf )