Ecospirituality Predicts Pro-Environmental Outcomes Across Cultures

Area of Science:

• Environmental Psychology
• Cross-Cultural Psychology
• Sociology of Religion

Background:

• The concept of nature possessing spiritual qualities is prevalent globally.
• Prior research in North America linked ecospirituality to pro-environmental outcomes.
• The cross-cultural generalizability of this link remained largely untested.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between ecospirituality and pro-environmental outcomes (behavioral intentions, policy support, financial donations) in a diverse, cross-cultural sample.
• To identify the mediating pathways through which ecospirituality influences pro-environmentalism across different cultures and religions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a large-scale cross-cultural survey of 11,186 religious individuals from 15 countries, representing 5 major world religions.
• Conducted pre-registered statistical analyses to assess direct associations and mediation effects.

Main Results:

• Ecospirituality demonstrated a consistent positive association with pro-environmental behavioral intentions, policy support, and financial donations across all cultural and religious groups.
• The pathways linking ecospirituality to pro-environmentalism were consistent globally, mediated by moral responsibility towards nature, gratitude for nature, and environmental self-efficacy.

Conclusions:

• Ecospirituality serves as a universal motivator for environmental care, bridging diverse cultural and religious perspectives.
• Findings suggest ecospirituality is a robust foundation for fostering global environmental stewardship.