Pro-Environmental Behavior Increases Subjective Well-Being: Evidence from an Experience Sampling Study and a Randomized Experiment

Two studies investigated whether engaging in pro-environmental behavior increases a person’s well-being. A 10-day experience sampling study (7,161 total observations; N = 181 adults from 14 countries, primarily the United States) revealed positive within-person and between-person associations, and a randomized, controlled experiment (N = 545 US undergraduates) found that incorporating pro-environmental behavior into individuals’ daily activities increased their experiences of happiness and meaning in life. Indeed, the effect was comparable to incorporating activities selected specifically to elicit such positive states, though these results may be impacted by demand characteristics. The studies also offered some tentative, preliminary evidence about why such an effect might emerge. We found some support for the hypothesis that pro-environmental behavior affects well-being by creating a “warm glow.” But, overall, the findings align more closely with the hypothesis that pro-environmental behavior helps to satisfy individuals’ basic psychological needs.