Frequency and perceived plasticity of climate-relevant consumer behaviors as a function of physical and social factors

Large-scale changes in consumption are essential for mitigating climate change. Yet, people’s behaviors and their perceptions of what is feasible to change are deeply influenced by their social and physical environments. Despite growing recognition of these influences, empirical evidence integrating both current behavior and perceived feasibility of change remains limited. In this study, we examine the relationship between perceptions of physical and social environments and both the frequency of high-impact transport and food behaviors, as well as their perceived behavioral plasticity—the perceived likelihood of changing such behaviors while considering associated costs and barriers. In exploratory analyses, we also examine how perceived behavioral plasticity relates to perceived wellbeing impacts of behavior change. Using survey data from 1,202 UK adults, we analyzed current driving, air travel, public transport use, and red and white meat consumption, together with perceived plasticity and wellbeing impact for each behavior. Social environmental factors, particularly descriptive norms and family goal support, predicted most current behaviors and perceived plasticity across domains. By contrast, perceptions of physical environmental factors, such as public transport access or food appeal, were associated with behavior and plasticity in more domain-specific ways. Perceived behavioral plasticity was positively correlated with perceived wellbeing impacts, suggesting that perceptions of feasibility and desirability are intertwined. These findings together demonstrate the importance of targeting both physical opportunity structures and social contexts when promoting climate-relevant behavior change.