Narcissism and Pro-Environmental Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Self-Monitoring, Environmental Control and Attitudes

Abstract

The need to protect and preserve the environment is an important concern, and the behavioral change in order to obtain behaviors positively oriented towards the environment is sometimes difficult to achieve. There are multiple factors that influence people’s actions against the environment, but individualistic and egocentric tendencies (i.e., grandiose and vulnerable narcissism) may negatively impact pro-environmental behavior. This article expands existing research by providing a closer look at the mechanisms by which individuals with grandiose and vulnerable narcissistic tendencies self-monitor, make attributions about environmental problems, and embrace the new ecological paradigm, as well as their pro-environmental behaviors. Using a convenience sample (N = 945), two mediation models were tested to assess the effect of narcissism on pro-environmental behavior, mediated by self-monitoring, environmental control, and environmental attitudes. Results indicated that both grandiose and vulnerable narcissism negatively correlated with environmental control, but only grandiose narcissism negatively correlated with environmental attitudes and pro-environmental behavior. Furthermore, mediation analyses results revealed that only environmental control significantly mediated the relationship between narcissism types and pro-environmental behavior. The discussion focuses on the implications of narcissistic features on pro-environmental behavior. Ecological campaigns should aim to increase individual control and include strategies that stimulate narcissistic individuals to self-enhance and recognize their responsibility when they produce significant changes in the environment.