Tokenism: A cognitive dissonance reduction strategy for the general self-assessment of environmental responsible behaviour.

Abstract

Amidst growing environmental concerns, this study explores the psychological underpinnings of individuals' self-assessment of their general environmental behaviour. By analysing data from the 2023 Spanish General Social Survey, by the Centre for Sociological Research, we find that individuals' positive self-assessment of their environmental conduct is weakly correlated with specific pro-environmental actions, particularly those involving high costs. Conversely, it is found that specific behaviours that incur in low costs are the most significant determinants of individuals' positive self-assessment of their overall environmental behaviour. These results support the hypothesis that individuals engage in tokenistic behaviours as a means of reducing cognitive dissonance and maintaining a positive self-image as environmentally responsible.