Environmental concern and environmental behaviour among the Norwegian public

Abstract

Current studies indicate that the most accurate predictor of actual buying behaviour is consumer attitudes (Glendon and McKenna, Human Safety and Risk Management , London: Chapman and Hall, 1995). This study seeks to investigate questions relating to the extent to which attitudes on safety and risk issues are critical to safety-related behaviour. The dispositional view of human behaviour implies behavioural consistency across different behaviours performed in different situations, as long as the behaviours are instances of the same underlying disposition. The present study tests this hypothesis in relation to health and environmental behaviour. Both direct and indirect effects are investigated. An additional aim was to test for gender differences as well as differences due to age and educational level. The results are based on survey data of a representative sample of the Norwegian population given self-completion questionnaires during the period 1997-98. A total of 1450 respondents replied to the questionnaire. Health attitudes and the Health Value Scale correlated strongly with health behaviour and environmental concern with environmental behaviour. Attitude towards illness prevention was important for both behavioural dimensions. Health behaviour influenced environmental behaviour in an indirect way, through health attitudes. The results imply that it can be useful to study dispositional concepts. When appropriately applied, they yield useful information. It is important to focus on specific attitudes and related specific behaviours in order to change behavioural practices. In addition, it seems possible to change environmental and consumer behaviour through changing health