Logo image
Meditating for the Planet: Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Sustainable Consumption Behaviors
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Meditating for the Planet: Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Sustainable Consumption Behaviors

Sonja M. Geiger, Daniel Fischer, Ulf Schrader and Paul Grossman
Environment and behavior, Vol.52(9), pp.1012-1042
2020
pdf
consumption behaviors1.00 MBDownloadView
Author’s Version Open Access

Abstract

Environmental Sciences & Ecology Environmental Studies Life Sciences & Biomedicine Psychology Psychology, Multidisciplinary Science & Technology Social Sciences
Recent research suggests that mindfulness may foster sustainable consumption behavior through the reduction of the so-called attitude-behavior gap, or by weakening material values while increasing subjective well-being. The current controlled longitudinal study tested these propositions by employing a sustainability-adapted mindfulness-based intervention (sMBI) to two different samples (n= 60 university students;n= 71 employees). Although the intervention successfully enhanced mindful experiences in both samples, we found no evidence for neither direct effects on sustainable consumption behavior or related attitudes, nor for the reduction of the attitude-behavior gap. However, the intervention led to greater well-being in the student sample and suggested a decline of materialistic value orientations in both samples. The results blunt previous claims about potential causal effects of mindfulness practice on sustainable consumption behavior. Nevertheless, they indicate that the sMBI affects behavior-distal variables, such as material values and well-being, which in turn could influence consumption behavior in the long run.

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

Source: InCites

Metrics

415 File views/ downloads
64 Record Views

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Citation topics
1 Clinical & Life Sciences
1.21 Psychiatry
1.21.1179 Mindfulness and Mental Health
Web Of Science research areas
Environmental Studies
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
ESI research areas
Social Sciences, general
Logo image