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. 2021 Jun 24:12:648221.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.648221. eCollection 2021.

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

Giuseppe Carrus  1 , Lorenza Tiberio  1 , Stefano Mastandrea  1 , Parissa Chokrai  2 , Immo Fritsche  2 , Christian A Klöckner  3 , Torsten Masson  2 , Stepan Vesely  3 , Angelo Panno  4
Affiliations

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

Giuseppe Carrus et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

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.

Keywords: attitudes; awareness; emotions; energy saving behaviors; intentions; meta-analysis; values.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA diagram describing the article selection phases.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Funnel plot for attitudes.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Funnel plot for intentions.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Funnel plot for values.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Moderation effect of age in the relation between values and energy saving behaviors (or intentions).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Funnel plot for awareness.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Funnel plot for emotions.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Moderation effect of gender in the relation between emotions and energy saving behaviors (or intentions).
Figure 9
Figure 9
Moderation effect of age in the relation between emotions and energy saving behaviors (or intentions).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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