Climate Change Distress and Pro-Environmental Behaviour: An Exploration Into the Role of Self-Determination
Summary
The quickly progressing climate-change is associated with rising psychological distress. This study investigates the association of self-determination level and pro-environmental behaviour, with the mediating roles of climate-change-anxiety and climate-change-distress. In an online cross-sectional survey (117 participants; 75% female, 21% male, 3% non-binary; aged 20-58), level of self-determination, degree of climate-change-anxiety and -paralysis and exertion of pro-environmental behaviour were measured. The results indicate a significant total effect of self-determination on pro-environmental behaviour, as well as a significant indirect effect of climate-change-anxiety but not climate-change-paralysis in mediating the relationship between self-determination and pro-environmental behaviour. Concludingly, the importance of fostering self-determination for behaving pro-environmentally, as well as differentiating between expressions of distress connected to climate-change is illustrated.