The Influence of Neuroticism on Proenvironmental Behavior

Abstract: Recent research suggests that personality traits are associated with proenvironmental behavior. However, it is unclear how the specific trait neuroticism might relate to it. This study aimed to investigate the influence of neuroticism on proenvironmental behavior and tested the hypothesis that higher neuroticism leads to more proenvironmental behaviors by higher levels of proenvironmental attitudes. Two hundred sixty-two Swedish participants answered an online survey, which included the NEO-PI-3 Neuroticism scale, the New Ecological Paradigm Scale, and the Pro-environmental Behavior Scale. Results revealed that neuroticism was not associated with proenvironmental behaviors, but that neuroticism to a small positive extent influences proenvironmental behavior by stronger proenvironmental attitudes. The author then made suggestions for why neuroticism might affect proenvironmental behavior indirectly but not directly.