Spillover processes in the development of a sustainable consumption pattern

Hypotheses about possible mechanisms for spillover processes between pro-en vironmental behaviours are developed and tested by means of structural equa tion modelling. Data were collected by means of telephone interviews with a representative sample of Danish adults. Personal norms concerning recyclin g and packaging waste prevention are found to be rooted in the same more ge neral, internalised values. Further, a predicted positive spillover effect from recycling to packaging waste prevention is confirmed. However, whereas a positive spillover effect from recycling to personal norms concerning pa ckaging waste prevention is predicted, the reverse is found. Neither is it confirmed that performing an environmentally friendly behaviour makes attit udinal and more distal antecedents of related behaviours more predictive of the next step in the assumed causal chain. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PsycINFO classification: 3920; 4070. JEL classificatio n. D10.