The value of environmental self-identity: The relationship between biospheric values, environmental self-identity and environmental preferences, intentions and behaviour

Abstract

Biospheric values and environmental self-identities are considered to be important antecedents of environmental preferences, intentions, and behaviour. Although various authors suggest a relationship between values and self-identity, this has rarely been studied empirically. This paper aimed to clarify the relationship between biospheric values and environmental self-identity and to study how both are related to environmental preferences, intentions, and behaviour. We hypothesized that biospheric values are related to environmental self-identity, and that self-identity is in turn related to preferences, intentions, and behaviour. Results of three studies including a wide range of environmental preferences, intentions, and behaviour support our reasoning and show that biospheric values are related to environmental self-identity, even when measured months before. Moreover, we found that the relationship between biospheric values and environmental preferences, intentions and behaviour was fully mediated by environmental self-identity, indicating that biospheric values are related to preferences, intentions, and behaviour via one's environmental self-identity. This suggests that values need to be linked to the self in order to be influential in choices made.