Sustainable Behaviors and Happiness: An Optimistic Link

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.