Why Do Intelligent People Care More About the Environment?

Mykolas Simas Poškus

doi:10.15388/psichol.2020.18

Abstract

The present study investigates and provides support for the Savanna-IQ interaction hypothesis regarding pro-environmental values. Study 1 showed that the highest attained education level is a significant predictor of pro-environmental concern, while Study 2 showed that the trait of openness to experience plays a unique role in predicting biospheric values, but not other values, lending support for the Savanna-IQ interaction hypothesis. Acting to preserve the natural environment is an evolutionarily novel challenge, and therefore, is more actively addressed by individuals who more readily adopt novel ideas and seek out new ways of behaving.

Highlights

IntroductionMuch research has been done in trying to answer this question
Why do some people care more for the natural environment than others? Much research has been done in trying to answer this question
Openness to experience has a stronger correlation with biospheric values than other personality traits do

Summary

Introduction

Much research has been done in trying to answer this question Researchers have focused their attention toward various cognitive and situational factors related to pro-environmental behavior, such as beliefs (Aguilar-Luzón et al, 2012; Han, 2015; Kaiser et al, 2005; Poškus, 2018), social norms (Bamberg et al, 2007; Dwyer et al, 2015; Terrier & Marfaing, 2015), moral norms (Chan & Bishop, 2013; Rossen et al, 2015), or values (Jakovcevic & Steg, 2013; Perlaviciute et al, 2016; Steg et al, 2014). As evidenced by the ample research that has been and continues to be published, increasingly more attention is being focused on environmental problems and human-induced climate change. An evolutionary explanation of why some people behave more pro-environmentally than others would add to a more precise understanding of pro-environmental behavior

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Conclusion