Predictors Of Environmental Concern Research Articles

Perceived socioeconomic status as a predictor of environmental concern in African and developed countries

An important literature examines the determinants of environmental concern within and across countries. The debate on whether affluence explains variations in environmental concern remains unsettled. An increasing number of studies acknowledge the importance of individual level characteristics as predictors of environmental concern. In this paper, we examine the relationship between perceived socioeconomic status and environmental concern among residents of less developed and developed countries. Our results show that in both less developed and developed countries, individual perceptions about their socioeconomic status are positively correlated with environmental concern. Specifically, aside from choosing environmental protection over economic growth and job creation, we find that people who perceive themselves as belonging to the working class, lower middle, upper middle and upper class are significantly more willing to make income sacrifices to prevent environmental pollution than those who believe they are in the lower class.

Preventing the Spread of Aquatic Invasive Species: Boater Concerns, Habits, and Future Behaviors

This article examined the role of value orientations and attitudes toward aquatic invasive species (AIS) on responsible boating behavior to reduce the likelihood of spreading AIS. Mitigation strategies developed to prevent the spread of AIS are most successful when the determinants of boating behaviors are well understood. Data were collected using a self-administered mail survey of a regionally stratified random sample of registered boaters in Illinois. Results provided support for the distinction of attitude into affective and behavioral components. While value orientations were significant predictors of environmental concern and past responsible environmental behavior, these attitude components were good predictors of intentions for future responsible boating behavior. Identifying the most influential predictors of responsible boating behaviors will help resource managers design effective intervention strategies to prevent AIS spread.

Time Perspective and Sustainable Behavior

The authors examined the efficacy of a two-factor model of consideration of future consequences (CFC) in understanding environmentally sustainable behaviors. In Study 1, individual differences in CFC-Immediate and CFC-Future were examined as predictors of environmental concern (EC) and behavior motivation (EB), controlling for values and sociodemographic variables. Results showed that low scores on the CFC-Immediate predicted EC and EB, with nonsignificant effects for CFC-Future. A prospect-concept priming task was used in Study 2 to implicitly activate future thinking which resulted in increases in ECs and behaviors, and these links were partially mediated by CFC-Immediate but not CFC-Future. The findings show that the associations between future time perspective and sustainable behaviors are driven by reduced immediate concerns. Implications for the role of time perspective in understanding and affecting sustainability efforts are discussed.

Proenvironmental concern and behavior in Turkey: The role of national and environmental identity

Because individual responses to environmental threats typically contribute more to collective than individual wellbeing, some identification with the collective may be important. Environmental identity predicts proenvironmental behaviors. Could a national identity also serve as a motivator? The present paper examines predictors of environmental concern and behavior in Turkey, with a particular focus on the role of national and environmental identity. We surveyed 808 Turkish university students and found strong endorsement for statements reflecting a cultural value for the environment. Turkish national identity also correlated with environmental identity, concern, behavior, and attributions of responsibility, although it did not contribute additional variance to the criterion variables once other predictors were included. We conclude that national identity may incorporate pro-environmental attitudes and is a promising arena for pro-environmental interventions.

The Role of Media System Development in the Emergence of Postmaterialist Values and Environmental Concern: A Cross‐National Analysis*

Important theories related to the social development of environmental concern and attitudes ascribe different roles to the media. Inglehart's materialist–postmaterialist value shift thesis sees the development of a more advance media system as promoting pro‐environmental values. Gerbner's cultivation theory, on the other hand, sees the media as promoting consumerist tendencies, which run counter to environmental concern. This study examines the effect of media system development on postmaterialist values and environmental concern at the national and individual levels. Controlling for other factors known to impact the emergence of environmental concern, the overall effect of media system development is largely negative. However, this result should be considered in light of interactions within and among other key variables. Hierarchical linear modeling is employed to examine the impact of media system development on environmental concern considering individual‐ and country‐level predictors. Results indicate media system development uniquely explains a small but significant amount of variation in individual‐level environmental concern. Findings are discussed in the theoretical context of country‐level predictors of environmental concern.

Environmental Concern in the Mormon Culture Region

ABSTRACT Perspectives on an array of social issues, including the environment, are strongly rooted within culture. Religion is an important carrier of culture, and several research projects have examined the influence of membership in some denominations on environmental attitudes. Research on connections between the Mormon religion and environmental attitudes have relied on national samples and do not control for the influence of regional but nonreligious culture. This research empirically examines connections between environmental attitudes and self-identification with the Mormon religion to further understand the religious culture's influences on environmental concern. To isolate the influences of the Mormon religion alone, survey data were collected from 639 residents of 4 communities located within the Mormon culture region. Findings indicate that there are statistically significant differences between the Mormon and non-Mormon populations' environmental concern, and clarify that the Mormon faith and its embedded cultural components are meaningful predictors of environmental concern within the region. Explanations for the relationships and their implications are discussed.