Does One Good Turn Deserve Another? Evidence of Domain-Specific Licensing in Energy Behavior

In this article we investigate licensing behavior across and within sustainability domains. In a survey study based on a random sample of residents of the state of Maine, USA ( N = 668), we find that an individual’s choice in a future policy scenario was significantly impacted by recalling his/her own previous sustainable behavior. We find evidence of domain-specific licensing in the energy realm, where individuals who participated in past sustainable energy behaviors are less likely to support a proposed public policy investment in energy efficiency/renewable energy. We employ a novel environmental motivation scale and determine that licensing impacts are mediated by an individual’s internal environmental motivation. Our results suggest that care must be taken in how we encourage sustainable behavior, without triggering licensing.