Abstract (eng)
Regarding climate change, environmental concern and pro-environmental behaviour are important concepts to promote sustainability on an individual level. Past research has found links between environmental concern and mindfulness, nature connectedness and personality. The present work employs a matched-pairs design in order to analyse differences between individuals high and low in environmental concern in a German-speaking sample (N = 69 pairs). Controlling for age and gender, significant and medium-sized differences emerged in nature connectedness and the mindfulness facet Observe of the FFMQ. In addition, people higher in environmental concern obtained also higher values in the Big Five personality factors Openness to Experience and Agreeableness. Both effects regarding personality were small to medium in size. Overall, the results replicate previous findings and add to the importance of mindfulness, nature connectedness and personality for environmental concern. Shortcomings of existing scales for measuring environmental concern and pro-environmental behaviour are discussed in detail. Lastly, practical implications to increase sustainable behaviour and directions for future research are given.