Ecological Beliefs Research Articles

Spanish Version of the New Ecological Paradigm Scale for Children

The New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale has been extensively used to measure adults' environmental attitudes. However, it has only recently been adapted for use with children. This paper presents a Spanish version of the NEP Scale for Children, examines children's ecological beliefs according to socio-demographic variables as well as the relationship between children's ecological beliefs and pro-environmental behavior. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted, followed by confirmatory factor analysis. In addition, the instrument's internal consistency was studied and links between environmental attitudes, age, and ecological behavior in children were examined through correlation analyses. The results show that children's ecological worldviews can be described by a dimension called "overall ecocentrism". Analysis of variance demonstrated that children from rural areas exhibit a more ecocentric worldview than those from urban areas. The results also denote gender differences.

Experiencing nature in children's summer camps: Affective, cognitive and behavioural consequences

The present study evaluates how a stay in a summer holiday camp changes children's willingness to display ecological behaviour and the affective and cognitive factors that may be responsible for this change. The study included two types of nature camps, one with an Environmental Education (EE) program and one without it, with an urban camp without EE as an additional control group. Nature experiences increased children's emotional affinity towards nature, their ecological beliefs, and willingness to display ecological behaviour. No differences were found between the nature camps with and without EE. Emotional affinity towards nature and ecological beliefs independently mediated the direct effect that exposure to nature has on children's ecological behaviours, the strength of each mediator differing according to the type of ecological behaviour.

Development of the Indicators of Successful Inclusion Scale (ISIS): addressing ecological concerns

The Indicators of Successful Inclusion Scale (ISIS) was developed to measure pre-service and practicing educators’ beliefs regarding factors that contribute to educating students with disabilities in general education classrooms. The measure was designed to assess teachers’ beliefs and attitudes related to inclusive education and to consider their possible utility for understanding teachers’ inclusion-related intentions and behaviors. Specifically, the ISIS targets personal and ecological factors thought to influence intentional inclusive practice: beliefs related to the perceived benefits of inclusion, beliefs regarding administrative school support for the practice of inclusion. ISIS scale development, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded discrete subscales addressing teachers’ ecological beliefs. Analyses of internal consistency and test-retest reliability data suggest the ISIS functions in a reliable fashion. Our construct validation procedures yielded evidence supporting the ISIS as a measure of pre-service and practicing teacher beliefs pertaining to inclusive education. Implications for the use of ISIS toward encouraging inclusive practices and enhancing a culture of inclusion are discussed.

Biogeomorphic feedbacks drive dynamics of vegetation–landform complex in a coastal riparian system

Vegetation succession in riparian zones is traditionally considered to be mainly driven by allogenic hydrogeomorphological factors, while the importance of autogenic, plant‐induced processes may become more significant as landform stability is achieved. This conventional notion was tested at selected point bars and cutbank edges along a salt marsh creek system in southwestern Denmark. It was predicted that, within each narrow habitat (ca. 5 m width), sites closer to creeks experience more dynamic changes in hydrogeomorphology, and hence, more changes in plant species composition than those farther away from creeks. These sites were compared in terms of the rate of vegetation succession between 2006 and 2011, using nonmetric multidimensional scaling. In the resulting two‐dimensional diagram, the Euclidean distance between any two samples representing the same quadrat of different time periods was interpreted as the degree of change in species composition. The predicted differences in succession rates among sites with varying distances from the channel were not observed. Locations adjacent to the creek have experienced the most intensive allogenic fluvial‐geomorphic processes. However, the rate of allogenic succession under such physical dynamism has not necessarily been greater than that of the autogenic succession that was highly dominant at locations slightly away from creeks. Allogenic and autogenic factors are probably equally, or at least simultaneously, important to vegetation dynamics even under dynamic hydrogeomorphology. Such a view is in disagreement with the conventional belief in fluvial ecology, calling for a more explicit inclusion of autogenic processes in modeling the evolution of vegetation–landform complexes in the riparian zone. In other words, a true biogeomorphic nonlinearity exists in highly dynamic fluvial systems in that output (i.e., vegetation and landform dynamics) is not necessarily a direct product of input (i.e., hydrogeomorphic effects), due to an unexpectedly significant intervening variable, autogenesis.

Stability criteria for complex ecosystems

Forty years ago, May proved that sufficiently large or complex ecological networks have a probability of persisting that is close to zero, contrary to previous expectations. May analysed large networks in which species interact at random. However, in natural systems pairs of species have well-defined interactions (for example predator-prey, mutualistic or competitive). Here we extend May's results to these relationships and find remarkable differences between predator-prey interactions, which are stabilizing, and mutualistic and competitive interactions, which are destabilizing. We provide analytic stability criteria for all cases. We use the criteria to prove that, counterintuitively, the probability of stability for predator-prey networks decreases when a realistic food web structure is imposed or if there is a large preponderance of weak interactions. Similarly, stability is negatively affected by nestedness in bipartite mutualistic networks. These results are found by separating the contribution of network structure and interaction strengths to stability. Stable predator-prey networks can be arbitrarily large and complex, provided that predator-prey pairs are tightly coupled. The stability criteria are widely applicable, because they hold for any system of differential equations.

The Principle of Extracting Background Relations in Property Effect of Inductive Reasoning

Property effect,also called interaction between properties and premise-conclusion matches,is an important psychological effect in inductive reasoning,which suggested that people could base on the background relation(relations between premise and conclusion) property most relevant to.At the same time,previous studies showed that different types of background relation vary in their relative accessibility.Therefore,the current study tries to examine which kind of background relation people would give priority to,the most accessible or the property most relevant,in inductive reasoning. The experiment consisted of two parts: a property induction task followed by a belief-assessment task,both were conducted on the computer using E-Prime.In the induction task,64 Chinese undergraduates were told about a novel gene or a novel disease that was true of one category of animals,they had to judge whether taxonomically,ecologically,and unrelated animals had the same property or not,under speeded or delayed conditions.Under speeded conditions the second category of animals presented 1s(delayed conditions 15s),participants were asked to judge as quickly as possible after they disappeared.After the judgment,they were asked to evaluate the confidence in their judgment.In the belief-assessment task,participants were shown each item again and asked "Do these animals live in the same habitat?" and "Do these animals belong to the same biological category?" They answered "yes" "no" or "don't know". The result revealed that:(1) Property effect was independent of time pressure.The possibility of reasoning(the percent of judged "yes" in the induction task) for gene between taxonomically related animals was greater than for disease in both speeded and delayed conditions,but between ecologically related animals,there was no difference.(2) Time pressure affected the confidence of reasoning,higher in speeded conditions than in delayed conditions.(3) In the speeded conditions,both taxonomical and ecological relatedness beliefs could predict the possibility and confidence of reasoning,but in delayed conditions both beliefs couldn't. These results proved that people are firstly extract the background relation property most relevant to then extract those less relevant or un-relevant in inductive reasoning.

Un registro observacional del consumo individual de agua: Aplicaciones a la investigación de la conducta sustentable

An observational technique for measuring individual water consumption is presented, which assesses diverse domestic uses of water. The recording is conducted by previously trained housewives in an attempt to obtain a reliable, valid assessment that minimizes the inconveniences of classical observational techniques, such as the intrusion from observers and the subsequent reactivity of the observed people. The water consumption of 510 individuals was recorded, computing through three days in a week the time invested by the observer and two other persons at her household in washing dishes, taking a shower, watering plants, tooth- brushing, and watering the sidewalk in front of their households. Results of the recording indicated stability and internal consistency of the measures, revealing reliability of the instrument. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated evidence of convergent construct validity, which was reinforced by a significant correlation between the observations and the meter-recording of water consumption. Also, an evidence of concurrent validity was obtained when correlating these observations with scales assessing utilitarian and ecological beliefs regarding water.

Les mythes cologiques dans le discours postcolonial: le cas de Francis Bebey

This article examines the importance of the natural environment in Francis Bebey's novels. Using environmental concepts to study the city/countryside opposition, considered respectively as anthropogenic and autogenic spaces, it illustrates the interactions between the two spaces as well as between humans and nature. It comes to the conclusion that in Bebey's works, ecological beliefs are important constituents of the postcolonial discourse from which the novels derive a significant political meaning.

Complementary curriculum: the work of ecologically minded teachers

Myriad international efforts exist to infuse and reform schools with ecological perspectives, but in the US those efforts remain largely on the fringes of schooling. The purpose of this study is to offer a perspective on this issue from inside schools. If one looks to the future success of environmental education, one must consider the work of teachers. To that end, this qualitative study explores the intentions and practices of three ecologically‐minded teachers in traditional public high schools in the US. The research methodology used was eco‐educational criticism, an arts‐based inquiry method with an ecological lens. The teachers were interviewed about their intentions for their students, and then observed to see how those intentions were manifested in the classroom. A follow‐up interview then synthesized the connection between their ecological beliefs and their general intentions for students.

Destruction without extinction: long‐term impacts of an invasive tree species on Galápagos highland vegetation

Summary 1. A common belief in invasion ecology is that invasive species are a major threat to biodiversity, but there is little evidence yet that competition from an exotic plant species has led to the extinction of any native plant species at the landscape scale. However, effects of invasive species at community and ecosystem levels can severely compromise conservation goals. 2. Our model species, the red quinine tree (Cinchona pubescens), was introduced to the Galápagos Islands in the 1940s and today extends over at least 11 000 ha in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island. It is also invasive on other oceanic islands. 3. We adopted a long‐term approach, analysing permanent plots in the Fern‐Sedge vegetation zone over 7 years, to test for impacts of C. pubescens density on resident plant species composition and on microclimate variables. We also tested whether the C. pubescens invasion facilitated the invasion of other species. 4. The rapid pace of the C. pubescens invasion was indicated by a more than doubling of percentage cover, a 4.6‐fold increase in mean stand basal area and a 4‐fold increase in the number of stems ha−1 in 7 years. 5. Photosynthetically active radiation was reduced by 87% under the C. pubescens canopy while precipitation increased because of enhanced fog interception. 6. Cinchona pubescens significantly decreased species diversity and the cover of most species by at least 50%. Endemic herbaceous species were more adversely affected than non‐endemic native species. Stachys agraria, another invasive species, colonized bare ground that developed under the C. pubescens canopy. 7. The numbers of native, endemic and introduced species in the study area remained constant throughout the 7‐year period. 8. Synthesis. This study clearly established C. pubescens as a habitat transformer, although its average cover did not exceed 20%. Despite the fact that no plant species has been lost completely from the study area so far, the introduction of the novel tree life form to a formerly treeless environment led to significant changes in stand structure and environmental conditions and to decreases in species diversity and cover. Such changes clearly conflict with conservation goals as set by the Convention on Biological Diversity.

A reply to M. Marangudakis

In his reply to our paper Marangudakis raises important points regarding: (1) the measurement of environmental values; and (2) potential risks of deep ecological views to human welfare. We definitely agree that a more rigorous approach to the measurement of environmental values is needed. While the extent of belief in deep ecology remains an open question, we believe Marangudakis may be overly simplifying deep ecology and, for that matter, Christian world views.

Hemingway's Michigan Landscapes

Ernest Hemingway's descriptions of the terrain of northern Michigan recall his experience, describe Nature, imply his ecological beliefs—and reconstruct what he sees in terms of post-Impressionist landscape painting. It was widely understood in his lifetime that landscape was an imaginative version of a scene rather than its photographic reconstruction. The way in which a scene was depicted implied much about artistic beliefs and intentions. Hemingway was particularly indebted to Cézanne for his ideas about landscape, but he took many cues from other painters ancient and modern.

Old-Growth Forests Can Accumulate Carbon in Soils

Old-growth forests have traditionally been considered negligible as carbon sinks because carbon uptake has been thought to be balanced by respiration. We show that the top 20-centimeter soil layer in preserved old-growth forests in southern China accumulated atmospheric carbon at an unexpectedly high average rate of 0.61 megagrams of carbon hectare-1 year-1 from 1979 to 2003. This study suggests that the carbon cycle processes in the belowground system of these forests are changing in response to the changing environment. The result directly challenges the prevailing belief in ecosystem ecology regarding carbon budget in old-growth forests and supports the establishment of a new, nonequilibrium conceptual framework to study soil carbon dynamics.

Untreated young gamblers with game-specific problems: Self-concept involving luck, gambling ecology and delay in seeking professional treatment

We assessed whether self-perceptions of dispositional personal luck are more pronounced among young gamblers who experience trouble with types of games that contain elements of skill relative to gamblers who have trouble with games characterized by pure chance. We also examined the convergence of subjective belief in personal luck and ecology of the game on attitudes toward seeking treatment. Our methodology consisted of a survey involving a sample of untreated young adults who scored one or more on the DSM-IV gambling screen. Results showed young people whose most problematic game contained a skill component (e.g., poker) were more likely to perceive themselves as being characterologically lucky. They also had more negative attitudes toward treatment seeking than their youthful counterparts whose most problematic game was one of pure chance (e.g., slot machines). These results suggest the subjective belief that one is a lucky person may play a role in maintaining problematic patterns of gambling. At the same time, this type of an unrealistic self-concept may also undermine the motivation to reduce imprudent wagering or abstain altogether. We concluded that excessive delay in seeking professional treatment services may be related to the combined influence of person and environmental factors. Specifically, the gap between needing help and obtaining help might be widened by: (a) unrealistic self-perceptions involving belief in personal luck and (b) involvement with wagering games that emphasize elements of skill.

Old and New Ideas about the Environment and Science

Using the framework of social representations theory, this article examines predictors of two belief systems linking beliefs about the environment with beliefs about scientific knowledge. In a survey study with 460 Portuguese respondents, the following four hypotheses were tested: (a) New ecological beliefs were expected to receive higher levels of agreement than old anthropocentric ones, (b) social identities (not only objective positions) were expected to be important predictors of respondents’ beliefs, and (c) the explanatory power of social identity variables was expected to be higher for those beliefs receiving lower levels of agreement (d) and for respondents expressing coherent representations. Analyses reconstructed two belief systems: prudence, linking new ecological ideas with a relativist view of science, and confidence, linking old anthropocentric ideas with a positivist view of science. Results support the hypothesis and show that although these systems can be viewed as contradictory, some respondents manage to agree with both.

The Attitudinal Influence of Career Orientation in 1st-Year University Students: Environmental Attitudes as a Function of Degree Choice

The authors examined the differences in environmental attitudes and ecological beliefs among 1st-year university students in different disciplines. The authors predicted that students studying disciplines traditionally associated with economic rationalism (i.e., commerce and business studies) and with social and political conservatism (i.e., law) would be less pro-environmental than students in disciplines conventionally considered liberal. The findings suggest that, although most university students hold positive attitudes toward the environment, different disciplines attract students of a particular attitudinal orientation.

A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR STUDYING ENVIRONMENTAL MENTALITY AND BEHAVIOR

Introduction We proceed from a broad definition proposed by Milton (1996:33): is a concern to protect the environment through human effort and responsibility wherever and in whatever form it exists, and we will use this term rather loosely, synonymously with such concepts as mentality or friendliness. Environmentalism is a certain way of thinking about the environment and a practical way of relating to it. Modern environmentalism as a particular field of thought and actions is quite a recent invention, its emergence is usually dated to late 1960s and early 1970s, resulting from various intellectual developments and forms of practice. Macnaghten and Urry (1998:73) describe contemporary environmentalism as risen from ... English Romanticism, the traditions of preservationism, critique of postwar modernization, science-based critiques of unlimited growth, the expansion of ecology and nature conservation expertise, the counter-cultural movement, the mediatization of social life.... Environmentalism is a complex social phenomenon, covering various forms of thought and practice, including new elements of individual lifestyle (selective consuming, recycling), green-colored group initiatives (from local save the forest initiatives to Greenpeace actions), and global political programs, conventions and agendas. common denominator for such a variety of forms is a concern about the state of natural environment, and a concern about human-nature relations. Environmentalism became one of the most influential social and political paradigms of the late 20th century, remaining at the same time quite controversial. First of all because it has started to question the very foundations of the mainstream Western political and economical establishment, trying to find the balance between the obviously contradictory forces of a modern world. As Matthew Gandy (1997:154) describes it: The postmodern era, as distinctive historical period since the early 1970s, is a deeply paradoxical one for environmental discourse. On the one hand, social and economic developments have facilitated the emergence of post-material political concerns with lifestyle issues such as environmental quality. On the other hand, the underlying dynamic of global social, economic and political change has been towards neoliberal deregulation, higher levels of worldwide consumption and an acceleration in environmental degradation and resource use at a global level. Contemporary environmental discourse has scarcely begun to reconcile these contradictory developments. emerging need for such a reconciliation has inevitably meant that environmental issues gradually overcame the limits of being a field of study predominantly for natural sciences. Contemporary environmentalism is first of all a social and political issue, studied by very different disciplines, from biology to economy, from psychology to law and medicine. In this article we will make an attempt to approach the issue from the social-psychological viewpoint. Our aim is analytical--to clarify the main concepts that are used when speaking about environmentalism in the context of person-nature relations. We will also present some hypotheses about the specific features of environmentalism in transitional societies, which might stand as a framework for empirical studies of the issue in this part of the world. Components of environmentalism Departing from the person-environment interaction perspective, empirical manifestations of environmentalism may be analytically divided into three kinds of phenomena. Firstly, a cognitive representation about the situation in the natural and human world, secondly--an evaluation or standpoint in relation to this situation, thirdly--an activity or restraint from activity in relation to the environment. first, cognitive (or non-evaluative) component of environmentalism may be revealed in generalized and specific knowledge (and misconceptions) about the environment and environmental consequences of human activities; ecological beliefs and belief systems; representations of public environmental debates on environmental issues; categories, meanings and explanations that are organized in the form of lay theories and myths of nature; perception and understanding of ecological threats and available options, etc. …

THE PREDICTION OF ECOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL BELIEF SYSTEMS: THE DIFFERENTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF SOCIAL CONSERVATISM AND BELIEFS ABOUT MONEY

The environment and the economy are two of the most pertinent issues of society and are increasingly perceived as inter-related, highlighting the significance of understanding how the issues may be held in cognition. This study looks at the structure of personal beliefs systems to investigate how the social cognitions of the individual might be applicable to political and economic issues. In particular, the research explores the possibility of a predictive relationship between individual beliefs about money and social conservatism and beliefs about the environment and ecology. A questionnaire-based study employing four measures was conducted with 399 university students. Findings suggest that ecology and environmentalism may be fundamentally different from one another as reflected by the contribution of different variables in the prediction of scale scores. Results provide support for the hypothesis that ecological beliefs and environmental attitudes exist as separable cognitive structures.

Indigenous economic institutions and ecological knowledge: A Ghanaian case study

Increasingly, the urgency of reorienting conventional development paradigms to take into account indigenous institutions and their ecological knowledge base is being recognized in both developed and developing countries. Based on a field research in Ghana, this paper discusses the nature and operation of indigenous economic institutions, their ecological knowledge, norms, beliefs, and practices pertaining to sustainable utilization of natural resources and environmental management. The institutions provide a framework of ideas, guiding principles, and practices that could serve as a foundation for endogenous options and broad-based efforts to solving resource and environmental management problems in the developing world. The paper also discusses limitations of indigenous ecological knowledge and practices.

The influence of various factors on the main meal format served in New Zealand households

The traditional main meal served in New Zealand households has been based on that of the British, i.e. a meat‐based main course that includes potatoes and other vegetables followed by a dessert. In recent years consumption figures for meat suggest that New Zealanders are making changes in their diets. This study investigates whether this change has involved a change for New Zealanders in the format of their meal. It also examines the factors that influence meal choices. It was found that cultural traditions are strongly associated with meal format and that the meal format varies most for those who hold strong ecological beliefs. This finding suggests that nutrition educators attempting to bring about changes in a population's diet should institute changes within accepted meal formats.