Psychology, Research
Engaging in eco-friendly behaviours can promote well-being say SFU researchers
By Justin Wong
Is being green good for you? An SFU research team seems to think so.
A study led by SFU researchers Michael Schmitt, Lara Aknin and Jonn Axsen has revealed that the more frequently North Americans engage in eco-friendly behaviours (EFB) the more they report satisfaction with their lives.
“These findings run counter to what many people and policy makers tend to assume about trying to convince people to change their current habits and choose eco-friendly behaviours,” says Schmitt, a professor of psychology.
He, along with psychology professor Lara Aknin, and Jonn Axsen, a professor of resource and environmental management, collaborated on the study with co-author Rachael Shwom from Rutgers University. They found behaviours that were more costly in terms of time, money and effort were more strongly related to life satisfaction than behaviours that had lower costs.
Their study has been published in Ecological Economics.