Global Mindedness and Pro-Environmental Behaviors in Different Economic, Cultural, and Political Contexts

Abstract

Addressing global environmental challenges calls not only for international cooperation but also for individuals to transcend national boundaries and identities. Previous research on the relationship between global mindedness and pro-environmental behaviors has yielded inconsistent findings, partly due to a lack of consideration of broader social contexts. Moreover, existing evidence is predominantly based on adult samples, leaving it unclear whether these patterns generalize to adolescents. To address these gaps, the current research employed a sample of 360,774 participants from 61 societies in the PISA 2018 survey to investigate the positive association between global mindedness and pro-environmental behaviors, and the moderating role of economic, cultural, and political contexts. The results indicated a positive association between global mindedness and pro-environmental behaviors. This relationship was stronger among adolescents living in societies with higher GDP, higher individualism, greater flexibility, and higher levels of democracy. Overall, these findings provide robust support for the positive relationship between global mindedness and pro-environmental behaviors among adolescents in a global context, and extend the literature by highlighting the importance of considering both individual and contextual factors in understanding pro-environmental behaviors.