The International Journal of Indian Psychology
ISSN 2348-5396 (e) | ISSN: 2349-3429 (p)
Volume 4, Issue 1, No. 75, DIP: 18.01.051/20160401
ISBN: 978-1-365-50727-4
http://www.ijip.in | October-December, 2016
© 2016 G Tiwari; licensee IJIP. This is an Open Access Research distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use,
distribution, and reproduction in any Medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Sustainable Behaviors and Happiness: An Optimistic Link
Gyanesh Kumar Tiwari
1
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ABSTRACT
The present study aimed to explicate the impacts of a set of positive behaviours i.e., sustainable
behaviours in shaping the nature and extent of happiness of the graduate students. Two hundred
undergraduate students with equal number of male and female served as the participants in the
present study. Six components of sustainable behaviours and happiness of the participants were
measured with the help of the two standardized psychometric tools. The results evinced that the
male participants demonstrated higher mean scores on energy conservation behaviours, mobility
and transportation, waste avoidance and social behaviours toward conservation components of
sustainable behaviours as compared to their female counterparts. Contrarily, the females showed
higher mean scores on consumerism and recycling components of the same measure as
compared to the males. Overall, the male scored significantly higher on the sustainable
behaviours as compared to the females. Likewise, the male participants also achieved higher
mean score on the measure of happiness as compared to the females. All the dimensions of
sustainable behaviours were positively correlated with happiness. In addition, all the dimensions
of sustainable behaviours significantly predicted happiness of the participants. The results of the
study have been discussed in the light of current theories of environment, sustainable behaviours
and happiness. The results of the study have significant implications for the policy makers,
administrators, researchers, environmentalists and the public at large. The future directions of
research have been discussed. An attempt has also been made to raise some theoretical and
practical issues which are not only pertinent to the academia of today but also carry practical
implications for all human beings. It focuses the need of conceptual and methodological
exchange among the relevant branches of knowledge.
Keywords: Sustainable behaviours, Happiness, Energy Conservation Behaviours, Waste
Avoidance and Social Behaviors, Consumerism and Recycling.
The deterioration of the biosphere encompassing its three levels (atmosphere, soil, water) is the
most serious concern of the day. Human behavior plays a pivotal role in the emergence and
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Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, School of Humanities & Social Sciences, Doctor Harisingh Gour
Central University, Sagar, M. P., India
*Responding Author