Ecological Dissonance Research Articles

Unpopular Culture: Ecological Dissonance and Sustainable Futures in Media‐Induced Tourism

Unpopular Culture: Ecological Dissonance and Sustainable Futures in Media‐Induced Tourism

Agrarian nature management in Russian regions: Ecological and resource dissonance

This article considers the ecological consequences of the transformation of agricultural nature management in post-Soviet Russia in a regional context. It has been revealed that approximately half the regions have changed their specialization from livestock farming to crop growing. The regional indices (1990–2014) of agricultural production and indices of resources being utilized (cultivated areas, livestock population, and fertilizer utilization) have been compared. The phenomenon of ecological and resource dissonance in agriculture, which leads to degradation of agrolandscapes, has been revealed. It has been established that the more successful the development of regional agriculture is, the higher the resource and ecological dissonance. Two groups of regions that differ by diametrically opposite ecological trajectories have been distinguished: (1) regions with accelerated agricultural simplification, where changes in regional climatic characteristics can be expected; (2) Central Chernozem regions, in which excessive utilization of agrolandscapes threatens their accelerated ecological degradation.

Some Empirical Evidence for Ecological Dissonance Theory

Using Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory as a model, the extension to Barker's ecological theory, referred to as ecological dissonance theory, was developed. Designed to examine the motivational dynamics involved when environmental systems are in conflict with each other or with cognitive systems, ecological dissonance theory yielded five propositions which were tested in 10 studies. This summary of the studies suggests operationally defined measures of ecological dissonance may correlate with workers' satisfaction with their jobs, involvement with their jobs, alienation from their work, and to a lesser extent, workers' conflict resolution behavior and communication style.

SOME EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FOR ECOLOGICAL DISSONANCE THEORY

Using Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory as a model, the extension to Barker's ecological theory, referred to as ecological dissonance theory, was developed. Designed to examine the motivational dynamics involved when environmental systems are in conflict with each other or with cognitive systems, ecological dissonance theory yielded five propositions which were tested in 10 studies. This summary of the studies suggests operationally defined measures of ecological dissonance may correlate with workers satisfaction with their jobs, involvement with their jobs, alienation from their work, and to a lesser extent, workers' conflict resolution behavior and communication style.

Ecological dissonance in decision-making participation systems as a predictor of job satisfaction, involvement, alienation, and formalization

The discrepancy between measures of preferred and actual participation in decision making was used as a measure of ecological dissonance for an organization and then used to assess its relationship to job satisfaction, job involvement, job alienation, and job formalization. Questionnaires were administered to 143 faculty and staff members of Mississippi State University. Correlational analyses indicated mild relationships between the measures of ecological dissonance and job satisfaction, job involvement, job alienation, and job formalization, thus providing support for ecological dissonance theory (see Miller, Topping, & Wells-Parker, 1989). It was concluded that ecological dissonance in participation in decision making was a predictor of workers’ job satisfaction, job involvement, job alienation, and job formalization.

Leadership power discrepancies and worker morale: A test of ecological dissonance theory

The present study attempted to develop a new measure of ecological dissonance (Miller, Topping, & Wells-Parker, 1989) for an organization and to assess its relationship with measures of alienation, involvement, and satisfaction. Questionnaires were administered to 94 faculty members at Mississippi State University. It was hypothesized that respondents experiencing greater ecological dissonance would also show higher alienation scores, lower involvement scores, and lower satisfaction scores with regard to their jobs; it was also hypothesized that the ecological dissonance levels would vary among the four influence systems (department head, dean, provost, and president of university) and would affect morale to different degrees. Correlational analyses indicated significant correlations between the measures of ecological dissonance, alienation, involvement, and satisfaction. A regression analysis revealed that the ecological dissonance generated within the department head’s influence system was the best predictor of morale. Additionally, a repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that the four influence systems differed significantly in ecological dissonance. The results supported the hypotheses and ecological dissonance theory.

Factors of ability, communication, grievances, and personal optimism as predictors of student satisfaction, involvement, and alienation: An ecological dissonance interpretation

The present study examined the variables of ability, communication, grievances, and personal optimism as predictors of student satisfaction, involvement, and alienation. Weak but statistically significant correlations occurred between openness of communication and alienation (r = −.11), personal optimism and involvement (r = −.16), and grievances and student satisfaction (r = −.17). It was concluded that these results could have been loosely deduced from ecological dissonance theory (Miller, Topping, & Wells-Parker, 1989).

Ecological Dissonance Theory and Criterion Validity of the Hooper Equal Opportunity Measure

The purpose of the present study was to examine the Hooper Equal Opportunity measure as an operational definition of ecological dissonance theory and as a predictor of dissatisfaction with one's academic major, alienation from one's academic major, and involvement in one's academic major. The statistically significant correlations provided evidence for the criterion validity of the instrument while at the same time providing support for ecological dissonance theory.

The Hooper equal opportunity measure: An operational definition of ecological dissonance theory

Research has indicated that organizations have climates that may affect the behavior of individuals within the organization. The purpose of this study was to define equal opportunity climate as a specialized form of organizational climate and to develop further the Hooper, Miller, Topping, and Wells-Parker (1989) measure of equal opportunity that is sensitive to sex inequity on the college campus. In addition, the study was designed to provide evidence for ecological dissonance theory, which predicts, among other things, that environments with ecological dissonance will result in low satisfaction and commitment among inhabitants. The results indicated, and it was concluded, that the factorial validity established through factor analysis, the internal consistency analysis, and the discriminant validity provided evidence for construct validity. Ecological dissonance theory predictions were also confirmed.

Construction and Validation of a Sex-Based Equal-Opportunity Measure for the College Campus

The preliminary stages in constructing and validating a sex-based equal opportunity climate measure were researched. Content and construct validity were established for the initial instrument's validation. 64 subjects comprised a content-evaluation panel to examine the measure based on content relating to equal opportunity. Construct validity was established through factorial validity, internal consistency, and discriminant validity. Three factors emerged in the factor analysis, indicating three subcategories related to an over-all construct of equal opportunity. Cronbach alphas for the internal consistency were high and corresponded to the factors. Statistically significant t tests indicated that each factor was sensitive to the experimental manipulation used to establish discriminant validity. It was concluded that the instrument had content and construct validity and would be a useful measure of ecological dissonance generated in sexist climates.

Ecological Dissonance and Organizational Climate

Using some of the principles of cognitive dissonance theory, a theoretical corollary to Barker's 1968 ecological theory was developed. The result, referred to as ecological dissonance, was proposed as a theoretical explanation for several of the phenomena associated with the concept of organizational climate. The theory was also offered as an explanation of behaviors that can result from the introduction of stringent penalties for such offenses as driving-under-the-influence.