Values and their relationship to environmental concern and conservation behavior (original) (raw)
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Trames. Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences
The aim of this study is to describe the links between the system of values and environmental orientations in the Estonian context. The sample consisted of 440 residents of Hiiumaa Island (representative random sample of the adult population). Value orientations were measured using the abridged version of the Schwartz value scale; composite indexes of ecological activity and various aspects of environmental awareness were constructed. The hypothesis concerning the sinusoidal pattern of relations between value types and environmental orientations was partly confirmed. Significant links were found between value dimensions and environmental attitudes. Associations of environmental attitudes and beliefs with value types confirm the assumption that individualistic (self-enhancement, autonomy) versus non-individualistic values (self-transcendence, contact with others, interdependence) form a major dimension that organizes various forms of environmentalism.
Values as predictors of environmental attitudes: Evidence for consistency across 14 countries
Journal of Environmental Psychology, 1999
A multinational study is reported on the relationship between values and attitudes. Environmental attitudes were measured using the revised New Environmental Paradigm (NEP: and ecocentrism±anthropocentrism scales. Other measures included gender, SES, religion, and Schwartz's (1994) universal values scale. Survey data were obtained from college students in 14 countries. A sample of 2160 participants was obtained through university contacts in each country. Results found support for the distinction between di¡erent types of environmental attitudes. Regression analyses revealed a consistent pattern of ¢ndings across countries. Scores on the NEP scale and the ecocentrism scale were predicted by universalism (positively), power (negatively), and tradition (negatively). In contrast, anthropocentric concerns were signi¢cantly related to benevolence (negatively), power (positively), tradition (positively), and security (positively). Overall, these ¢ndings support the value-basis theory of environmental attitudes.
Using the social-psychological literature on the antecedents of environmental behaviour and comparative data from Germany, India, Israel and South Korea, we test four value types that correspond with environmental behaviour. Our cross-national context represents varying social, economic, cultural and environmental configurations, giving credence to the effects of values. The authors collected survey data among students on a variety of environmental behaviours and on questions that comprise Schwartz’s value scale. The results show similarities between the countries in the effect of biospheric values and differences in the effects of the other values tested. We also find that biospheric value is the most important value type for explaining environmental behaviour, and that biospheric values, universalism and benevolence – three key values that we analyse – have different effects on environmental behaviour, and therefore should be treated separately rather than in a unified self-transcendence value orientation. We finally demonstrate the importance of conformity in the analysis of environmental behaviour. Our conclusions point to the importance of further exploring the mechanism that links values and environmental behaviour while contextualising it in different national and cultural settings.
The Place of Environment-Related Values in the Value-System. A Cross-Country Analysis
Acta Universitatis Sapientia –Social Analysis, 2012
The purpose of this paper is the investigation of the strength of environmentalism and the place of environmental values within the value structure of different countries with a different economic history, geographical features and different environment-related problems. For the analysis the data from World Values Surveys were used. With the exception of China, people evaluate realistically the environmental problems of their country. Factor analysis revealed that the environment-related value is grouped with openness in China, with traditional values in India, Bulgaria, Turkey, Spain and Japan, and they are autonomous in Germany. In Germany there is a contradiction between the low level of environmentalism and the high level of pro-environmental acts.
Various scholars argue that egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric value orientations are important for understanding environmental beliefs and behavior. However, little empirical evidence has been provided for the distinction between altruistic and biospheric values. This study examines whether this distinction is valid across different countries (i.e.and Sweden) by using a new value instrument. Relationships between these value orientations and behavior-specific beliefs (i.e., awareness of environmental consequences and personal norms) are investigated to further examine the validity of the value instrument. Results provide support for the generalization of the three-way distinction. Furthermore, value orientations were related to behavior-specific beliefs in all countries. The authors conclude that the distinction between the three value orientations is valid and useful for examining environmentally relevant behavior.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VALUES AND GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIOUR
ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT: 2012. 17 (1) ISSN 1822-6515, 2012
Growing global social and environmental problems draw attention to rethinking traditional marketing approaches. There are many signs of social and environmentally conscious marketing being now rediscovered. The main objectives of our comprehensive research project on social marketing were to find out how values influence general environmental behaviour. In order to achieve our objectives, we conducted a questionnaire survey with a representative sample of 501 respondents in 2011 in Hungary. Security proved to be the most important, extremely important value, which supports pro-environmental behaviour. Excitement, followed by being well respected and fun and enjoyment in life, all of which are negatively correlated by pro-environmental behaviour, are the least important values in Hungary. Additionally, we found that more than the half of the Hungarian population usually lived green. However, only weak correlations were found between environmentally conscious behaviour and value items. Since the direct influence of values on GEB is only weak, more variables (e.g. attitudes) are needed when modelling someone’s pro-environmental behaviour.
The Relationship between Values, Environmental concern & Behaviour:A Jordanian sample
This study aimed at identifying the system of human value of values; it also aimed at identifying the correlation between environmental concern & behaviour. consisted of 218 students, using three questionnaires to collect data. The fir paragraphs using Schwarz model; the second questionnaire included 20 paragraphs to measure environmental concern depending on the scale of Thompson and Barton, whereas the third questionnaire included 22 paragraphs to measure the environmental behaviour. Results showed that students own a system of values tend more to be towards the traditional values nature. Findings also showed a positive correlation between general values in two dimensions (conservatism, and self-transcendence), and environmental values whether (eco between the general values in two dimensions (Openness, S
Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour., 2005
Key Words values, environment, pro-environmental behavior ■ Abstract Values are often invoked in discussions of how to develop a more sustainable relationship with the environment. There is a substantial literature on values that spans several disciplines. In philosophy, values are relatively stable principles that help us make decisions when our preferences are in conflict and thus convey some sense of what we consider good. In economics, the term values is usually used in discussions of social choice, where an assessment of the social value of various alternatives serves as a guide to the best choice under a utilitarian ethic (the greatest good for the greatest number). In sociology, social psychology, and political science, two major lines of research have addressed environmental values. One has focused on four value clusters: self-interest, altruism, traditionalism, and openness to change and found relatively consistent theoretical and empirical support for the relationship of values to environmentalism. The other line of research suggests that environmentalism emerges when basic material needs are met and that individuals and societies that are postmaterialist in their values are more likely to exhibit pro-environmental behaviors. The evidence in support of this argument is more equivocal. Overall, the idea that values, especially altruism, are related to environmentalism, seems well established, but little can be said about the causes of value change and of the overall effects of value change on changes in behavior.
The aims of this study were to investigate (a) the relationship between connectedness to nature and pro-environmental behaviours; (b) the relationship between environmental values and behaviours; and (c) whether or not there is a mediating effect of values in the relationship between connectedness and behaviour. Seventy-six undergraduate students completed an online survey that measured connectedness to nature, egoistic values, altruistic values, biospheric values, pro-environmental behaviours, and social desirability. The results showed that connectedness to nature, altruistic values and biospheric values were positively related to pro-environmental behaviours; and that environmental values partially mediated the relationship between connectedness to nature and pro-environmental behaviour. These results lend support to Wilson's (1984) biophilia hypothesis, which suggests that all humans are innately and emotionally connected to nature, and the value-belief-norm model of Stern, Dietz, Abel, Guagnano and Kalof (1999), which suggests that values activate cognitions that create a positive environmental personal norm to engage in pro-environmental behaviours.