Author(s)

Víctor Corral-Verdugo¹, Daniel González-Lomelí¹, Marisol Rascón-Cruz¹, Víctor O. Corral-Frías¹

¹University of Sonora, Hermosillo, Mexico.

This paper explores the relationship between sustainable behavior, indicated by frugal and equitable actions, and three intrinsic motives: satisfaction, autonomy and self-efficacy. One-hundred and seventy-three undergraduates at a Mexican university responded to a questionnaire investigating their sustainable actions and the intrinsic repercussions derived from those actions. Using structural equations, a model is specified and tested, which reveals the presence of a higher-order factor (sustainable behavior) subjacent to a high and significant covariance between frugal and equitable behaviors. The resulting higher-order-factor, in turn, significantly predicts the report of feelings of satisfaction, autonomy, and self-efficacy. These findings are in line with the idea that sustainable behavior is to a good extent self-determined through the operation of intrinsic consequences, which instigate people’s pro-social and pro-environmental actions.

Frugality, Equity, Satisfaction, Autonomy, Self-Efficacy

Corral-Verdugo, V. , González-Lomelí, D. , Rascón-Cruz, M. and Corral-Frías, V. (2016) Intrinsic Motives of Autonomy, Self-Efficacy, and Satisfaction Associated with Two Instances of Sustainable Behavior: Frugality and Equity. Psychology, 7, 662-671. doi: 10.4236/psych.2016.75068.