Going Green: A Review on the Role of Motivation in Sustainable Behavior

Abstract

Taking sustainable actions in daily life to reduce human impacts on the environment is becoming a matter of great urgency. It is therefore relevant to understand the factors behind people’s sustainable behavior. Several psychological frameworks emphasize the role of motivation in sustainable behavior. We conducted a review of the literature to examine the motivation–sustainability relationship, with the following objectives: (1) explore consumers’ perception of the value conveyed by green products or services; (2) understand the factors that modulate the relationship between motivation and sustainable behavior; and (3) provide avenues for future research in psychology and formulate recommendations for application. The review of the results from 40 publications indicates that the symbolic value associated with green products or services can influence consumers’ preferences, choices, and sustainable behaviors. However, the perceived value of green products or services is modulated by dispositional factors, those specific to the characteristics and history of an individual, and contextual factors, those specific to a product being evaluated or the context in which the evaluation takes place. The results are discussed in light of the motivational, emotional, and attentional processes involved in sustainable behavior.