Saving the environment? That is beyond my (will)power!

Many people see climate change as a major problem that needs to be addressed. However, many still do not engage in the necessary proenvironmental behavior. One possible problem is that proenvironmental behavior may require self-control given that being nonenvironmental is usually less effortful or otherwise less costly. In the present research, we examine whether lay beliefs about willpower (i.e., people’s beliefs about the nature of self-control) predict proenvironmental behavior. Study 1 (N = 165) tested the correlational relationship between lay beliefs about willpower and performance and effort exertion (as assessed by cardiovascular reactivity) on an environmental task. The results showed an association of a nonlimited willpower belief with better performance and more effort exertion (as measured by preejection period, but not systolic blood pressure). Study 2 (N = 208) assessed the causal effect on the same outcomes by experimentally manipulating participants’ willpower beliefs. However, there was no support for a causal effect. There was only a marginally significant effect on performance, no significant difference in effort exertion as measured by preejection period, and merely a trending difference in systolic blood pressure (which was exploratorily analyzed). Thus, while the results from Study 1 indicate a correlational relationship between lay beliefs about willpower and effortful exertion on proenvironmental behavior, Study 2 did not provide evidence of a causal effect. These results allow first insights into the relationship between lay beliefs about willpower and effortful proenvironmental behavior, but further research is needed to test the robustness and underlying causality of this relationship.