How regulatory focus shapes pro-environmental behaviour: evidence horn Portugal

This study predicts an indirect relationship between regulatory focus and pro-environmental behaviour. In doing so we advance the incipient and conflicting literature on the relationship between regulatory focus and pro-environmental behaviour, predicting both positive and negative channels for the dissemination of regulatory focus effects on environmentally-friendly behaviour. The results, based on data collected from 925 individuals, show that the effects of both regulatory orientations on pro-environmental behaviour are completely mediated by the predicted mechanisms. Both promotion and prevention show an indirect positive relationship with environmentally-friendly behaviour, but this depends on the specific type of environmental behaviour. Moreover, the results suggest that both promotion and prevention affect pro-environmental behaviour through positive and negative channels.