Relationship Between Knowledge and Affection for the Environment: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

<p style="text-align:justify">Environmental damage must be taken seriously. Strengthening human attitudes to preserve the environment is the keyword, and strengthening the aspects of knowledge about the environment must be pursued. However, a scientific basis is needed that shows that it is true that strengthening the aspects of knowledge about the environment can improve a person’s attitude toward preserving the environment. The purpose of this research is to find the relationship between a person’s knowledge and their behavior in preserving the environment. By defining the general picture of the relationship between knowledge and attitudes, future accurate educational policies can be taken in the context of environmental protection. This research is a meta-analysis of correlation types. The inclusion criteria for selecting the data are as follows: studies published from 1999 to 2022 in English, analyzed by correlation analysis, have descriptions of many samples and correlation indices, and published in Google Scholar-indexed journals. Based on this inclusion criteria, 23 studies were selected containing 36 relevant sets of research data. The results showed that there was a correlation between knowledge and a person’s attitude toward the environment (.37). Assuming a 95% confidence level, the real score ranges from 0.26 to 0.48. The publication bias test using the trim and fill method showed that none of the data contained biased publications, so the meta-analysis results could be declared valid. Now, there is an urgency to expand environmental education to encourage the development of good attitudes by the community toward the environment.</p>