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Experimental Psychology (Russia)
2025. Vol. 18, no. 3, 166–177
doi:10.17759/exppsy.2025180311
ISSN: 2072-7593 / 2311-7036 (online)

Psychological time and pro-environmental behavior (on example of «green» purchasing behavior of the youth)

 
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Abstract

Context and relevance. The deterioration of the global environmental situation and the growing concern of the community have led to the need to change the daily economic behavior of people. Among the psychological variables that influence the choice of pro-environmental consumer behavior time perspective, or psychological time, is noted. This phenomenon is poorly understood in relation to environmentally responsible behavior that is why the objective of this study is to identify the association between psychological time and environmentally responsible purchasing behavior of young people. Methods and materials. To study the level of environmental purchasing behavior, the “Green scale” (Haws, Winterich, Naylor) specially adapted for the Russian sample was used. To study the cognitive component of psychological time Temporal Focus Scale (Shipp, Edwards, Lamber) was used, affective component was diagnosed using Attitudes toward time by Nuttin. Results. The results of the comparative analysis (N = 223) show the tendency of increasing focus on past events and thinking about the future of students with a higher level of environmentally responsible purchasing behavior. The value of environmental consumption increases with an assessment of the past as more meaningful, hopeful, speedy and more difficult. The results of the discriminant analysis allowed to identify two factors that affects the preference of “green” purchases of young people — past attitude and past focus. Students who are more likely to turn to their own experience and see the past in more positive colors, tend to think about not harming nature, save the resources of the planet when planning purchases. Conclusions. The study broadens the understanding of time predicators of pro-environmental behavior, allowing us to see the role of personal experience and economic socialization.

General Information

Keywords: pro-environmental behavior, purchasing behavior, “green” consumption, psychological time, temporal focus, attitude toward present, attitude toward past, attitude toward future, students

Journal rubric: Ecological Psychology

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/exppsy.2025180311

Received 01.02.2024

Revised 29.04.2025

Accepted

Published

For citation: Zabelina, E.V., Korneeva, A.A. (2025). Psychological time and pro-environmental behavior (on example of «green» purchasing behavior of the youth). Experimental Psychology (Russia), 18(3), 166–177. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.17759/exppsy.2025180311

© Zabelina E.V., Korneeva A.A., 2025

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

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Information About the Authors

Ekaterina V. Zabelina, Candidate of Science (Psychology), Professor, Chair of Psychology, Institute of Education and Practical Psychology, Chelyabinsk State University, Chelyabinsk, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2071-6466, e-mail: katya_k@mail.ru

Anna A. Korneeva, Senior Lecturer, Chair of General and Professional Pedagogy, Institute of Education and Practical Psychology, Chelyabinsk State University, Chelyabinsk, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0247-6451, e-mail: korneeva_112@mail.ru

Contribution of the authors

Ekaterina V. Zabelina — the idea of research; annotation, writing and design of the manuscript; planning of the study, supervision of the research, editing of the manuscript.

Anna A. Korneeva — application of statistical, mathematical and other methods for data analysis; conducting an experiment; collecting and analyzing data; visualizing the results of the study.

Both authors participated in the discussion of the results and approved the final text of the manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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