Connectedness to Nature Encourages, but Materialism Hinders, Ecological Behavior in the Philippines: The Higher Order and Second-Order Factors of Environmental Attitudes as Viable Mediating Pathways

Abstract

Despite the global prevalence of environmental issues, limited research has been done in wider sociocultural contexts. This study aimed to determine the influence of (1) connectedness to nature, (2) materialism on ecological behavior, and (3) to juxtapose two models demonstrating the mediating role of the overall index of environmental attitudes (Model 1) and its second-order factors (Model 2) (i.e., education, field trips, conservation, and intention facets) on the impact of connectedness to nature and materialism on ecological behavior in the Philippine context. Using an online questionnaire, 589 individuals (men = 216, women = 373) with ages ranging between 18 and 65 years old (mean age = 30.06 years; SD age = 13.31) participated in the study. Results revealed that individuals with higher levels of affiliation with nature reported greater engagement in ecological behaviors. In contrast, people with higher materialistic values reported lower levels of ecological behaviors. Moreover, results showed that both models of environmental attitudes (except the education and field trips facets) can be viable mediating pathways in the influence of connectedness to nature and materialism on ecological behavior in Filipinos. Findings were discussed within the context of the massive environmental degradation and fast urbanization in a developing country such as the Philippines. Limitations, future directions, and implications are discussed with reference to community and psychoeducational interventions.