Environmental beliefs and water conservation: An empirical study

Abstract

Observations of residential water consumption were conducted with 510 individuals living at two northern Mexican cities. In addition, they responded to a questionnaire investigating their general environmental beliefs and their specific (utilitarian–anthropocentric, and ecological) beliefs regarding the status of water as a natural resource. General environmental beliefs were modeled as having a tri-factorial structure, including beliefs regarding (1) the need of maintaining a “balance” with nature, (2) the need of imposing “limits” to human growth, and (3) a human exception paradigm (HEP). Two structural models of relations between general environmental beliefs, specific water beliefs and water consumption were specified and tested. The first model failed in producing direct effects of general environmental beliefs on water consumption. The second model revealed that general environmental beliefs differentially influenced the development of specific beliefs regarding water: Utilitarian water beliefs were positively affected by the HEP, while ecological water beliefs were positively influenced by “limits” beliefs and were negatively related to the HEP. Utilitarian water beliefs, in turn promoted water consumption, while the ecological water beliefs inhibited that behavior.