Understanding the gap between pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours: a study on the acceptance of negative emotions in workers / Comprendiendo la brecha entre actitudes y conductas proambientales: un estudio sobre la aceptación de emociones negativas entre trabajadores

Abstract

Research has found a gap between pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours that has not been understood yet. While studies have highlighted the important role of the cost/benefit evaluation, most of these studies did not consider emotional factors in this evaluation. We aimed to assess the role of emotional factors (i.e., empathy and emotional regulation) in the association between pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours. Specifically, we aimed to verify whether the non-acceptance of own negative emotions could moderate the relationship between pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours in a sample of corporate employees. We assessed pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours, empathy and emotional regulation in N = 1,432 Italian employees. Findings showed that the sample was divided into two clusters based on their levels of empathy and emotional dysregulation. Employees with high cognitive emotion functions showed more pro-environmental behaviours than employees with high affective emotion functions. Furthermore, results showed the partial moderation role of non-acceptance in the pro-environmental attitude–behaviour relationship. Important implications in implementing intervention programmes are discussed.