Testing a model linking environmental hope and self-control with students' positive emotions and environmental behavior

ABSTRACT

This study examined a moderated mediation model with 254 Israeli junior high school students, hypothesizing that students' environmental hope would simultaneously mediate the relationship between their engagement in school-based environmental activities (green engagement) and their environmental behavior as well as their positivity ratio, but that students' self-control skills would moderate these mediation processes. The results showed that engagement was linked to self-reported pro-environmental behavior, as well as experiencing more positive than negative emotions. Multigroup structural equation modeling indicated that the model provided a good fit to the data, and rigorous bootstrap analysis confirmed the simultaneous mediating role of environmental hope—but only for students with high self-control skills. The limitations and implications of the findings are discussed, and future directions are presented.

KEYWORDS:

• environmental behavior
• environmental education
• hope
• positive emotions
• positivity ratio
• self-control

Note

Notes

1. In the ABC model, “A” stands for activating event, “B” stands for beliefs (thoughts), and “C” stands for consequences (behavioral, emotional, etc.)