Tilmann Levi Hüppauff’s research while affiliated with University of Applied Science and Arts Dortmund and other places

Addressing the ecological crisis necessitates demand-side mitigation. However, sufficiency strategies that limit consumption are often perceived as detrimental to well-being, creating a barrier to broader societal efforts. This study investigated the Collegium Academicum (CA) student home as a setting where shared living is practised with a strong focus on sufficiency. We examined whether such sufficiency settings can enhance the personal meaning of sufficiency compared to ordinary shared living environments. Data were collected from 159 residents of the CA and a standard student home. Our findings indicated that residents of the CA experienced greater meaningfulness of shared living, improved sufficiency attitudes and a higher intention to choose shared living in the future. Experiences of shared living had a lagged positive impact on the perceived meaningfulness of shared living. These results imply that sufficiency settings can strengthen sufficiency-oriented living. Future research should continue to explore these environments using robust pre-post study designs.

To enable human living within planetary boundaries is among the biggest challenges of our time. In this context the question emerges how consuming less can go along with subjective wellbeing. Analysing meaning construction of sustainable behaviour might offer insights regarding this relationship. The current study aimed to investigate vertical coherence as a mechanism of meaning construction of behaviours that mitigate resource consumption which we call sufficiency behaviour. Therefore, we conducted a survey with N = 544 participants and preregistered our analyses. Path-analysis revealed intrinsic motivation for repairing, curtailment and sharing to be related to hedonic wellbeing and behaviour frequency mediated by ascribed behavioural meaning. Intrinsic motivation did partially regress on altruistic and biospheric values. We found no significant relationship between sufficiency behaviour and life satisfaction or presence of meaning in life. We conclude that behavioural meaning is important for the behaviour occurrence as well as behavioural wellbeing. Choosing alternatives to buying new products seems to be perceived as meaningful when it is intrinsically motivated. Biospheric and altruistic values might constitute sources for the intrinsic motivation to develop. Taken together, these results illustrate how less consumption might positively connect to wellbeing. Future research should explore ways of strengthening meaningfulness of behaviour.

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly changed the way we live and consume. One open question is whether the crisis provides an opportunity to increase alternatives to materialistic consumption. We characterize these alternatives as sustainable leisure behaviour. Our study aimed to analyse: (i) Changes in behaviour frequency of consumption and sustainable leisure before and during lockdown. (ii) How potential changes in behaviours are appraised and if there are intentions to keep changed behaviour. (iii) Influence of Time Wealth (an alternative model of affluence that potentially promotes low consumption life styles) and Life Reflection (fundamental reflection processes stimulated by the Covid-19 crisis) on consumption and sustainable leisure behaviour during lockdown. We collected data from 947 participants in Germany, using an online survey. Participants reported behaviour frequencies of consumption and sustainable leisure before and during lockdown. Furthermore, participants evaluated potential behaviour changes and rated statements regarding their future intentions. Main findings: (i) Pairwise t-tests revealed reduced consumption behaviour in Electronics and Clothes. All sustainable leisure behaviours increased during lockdown. (ii) Increases in sustainable behaviour received positive evaluation and were intended to extend into the future. Consumption behaviour results were mixed. (iii) In multiple regression analysis, Time Wealth and Life Reflection were positively related to most sustainable leisure behaviour. Sustainable leisure behaviour correlated positively with Life Satisfaction and Presence of Meaning. We discuss future research ideas regarding the promotion of sustainable wellbeing in a post COVID society.

The Covid-19 pandemic profoundly changed the way we live and consume. One open ques-tion is whether the crisis provides an opportunity to increase alternatives to materialistic con-sumption. We characterize these alternatives as sustainable leisure behaviour. In this context, Time Wealth and Meaning Construction in the form of Life Reflection might be important variables. In our study we aimed: (i) To investigate changes in behaviour frequency of con-sumption and sustainable leisure before and during lockdown. (ii) Analyse how potential changes in behaviours are appraised and if there are intentions to keep changed behaviour fre-quencies. (iii) Analyse whether Time Wealth and Life Reflection can be related to reduced consumption behaviours and increased sustainable leisure behaviours during lockdown.We collected data from 947 participants in a Germany-wide online survey using questionnaires. Participants reported behaviour frequency of consumption and sustainable leisure before and during lockdown. In cases where behaviour frequencies changed participants evaluated this change and indicated future intentions.Main findings: (i) Pairwise t-tests revealed reduced consumption behaviour in Electronics and Clothes. All sustainable leisure behaviours increased during lockdown. (ii) The increase of sustainable behaviour was positively correlated with evaluation and future intentions and we found mixed results concerning consumption behaviour. (iii) In multiple regression analysis, Time Wealth was positively related to sustainable leisure behaviours as well as Life Reflection except for Outdoor Activities. Explorative analysis revealed small but significant positive correlations of sustainable leisure behaviours with Life Satisfaction and Presence of Meaning.In section 4.3 we discuss how findings can inform future actions towards sustainability.