Pro-environmental Intentions Research Articles

Values Determine the (In)Effectiveness of Informational Interventions in Promoting Pro-Environmental Behavior

Informational interventions (e.g., awareness campaigns, carbon footprint calculators) are built on the assumption that informing the public about the environmental consequences of their actions should result in increased pro-environmental intentions and behavior. However, empirical support for this reasoning is mixed. In this paper, we argue that informational interventions may succeed in improving people’s knowledge about the negative environmental consequences of one’s actions, but this knowledge will not gain motivational force if people do not consider protecting the environment an important personal value. In an experiment, we measured individual differences in value priorities, and either presented participants a movie clip that portrayed the negative environmental consequences of using bottled water, or a control movie. As predicted, we found that the environmental movie improved recipients’ knowledge of the negative environmental impact of bottled water, but this knowledge only resulted in concomitant changes in intentions and acceptability of related policies among participants who strongly endorsed biospheric (i.e. environmental) values, while having no effect on those who care less about the environment. Interestingly, the results suggest that although informational interventions are perhaps not always successful in directly affecting less environmentally-conscious recipients, they could still have beneficial effects, because they make those who strongly care about the environment more inclined to act on their values.

Knowledge, Perceptions, and Attitudes as Determinants of Youths’ Intentions to Use Bioenergy—A Cross-National Perspective

Development of modern bioenergy sector is an important step toward meeting societal demand for reducing CO2 emissions and supplying eco-friendly energy. Young students are the future decision-makers and they will play an important role toward transforming the present fossil fuel driven society into a renewable energy based society. The study aimed to explain young students' intentions to use bioenergy by considering their knowledge perceptions, and attitudes related to bioenergy in Finland, Taiwan, Turkey, and Slovakia. Data for this study came from a previous survey in these countries among 15-year-old 1903 school students. This study with the help of Principal Component Analysis revealed the dimensions of the students' perceptions of and attitudes related to bioenergy. One of the dimensions “pro-environmental intention” was used as the dependent variable in the Multiple Regression Analyses. Results indicated that students' intentions to use bioenergy were mostly guided by their perceptions of the socio-environmental aspects related to bioenergy. Individual level decision-making such as communicating and learning more about bioenergy was also important; however, with a low impact value. Results also suggested that the “critical–environmental” dimension had only minor influence on the students' intentions to use bioenergy. Students' level of bioenergy-knowledge especially those with a relatively higher level appeared to have a strong impact on their intentions to use bioenergy. Young students should be facilitated to become aware of bioenergy in order to influence their intentions to use it in the future.

Place attachment, place satisfaction and pro-environmental behaviour: a comparative assessment of multiple regression and structural equation modelling

Using data collected from 452 visitors at the Dandenong Ranges National Park, Australia, this paper applies multiple regression (MR) and structural equation modelling (SEM) approaches to test the relationships between the respective sub-constructs of place attachment (place dependence, place identity, place affect, place social bonding), place satisfaction, and visitors' pro-environmental behavioural intentions. Findings revealed differences in strength and magnitude of the regression paths. The SEM analysis further reveals insignificant regression paths between place identity and place satisfaction, and place social bonding and low-effort pro-environmental behavioural intentions in contrast to the MR results. An empirical comparison of the MR and SEM results is expected to shed light on the application of these two powerful techniques in tourism research.

Mapping Environmental Behaviour in the Spanish Context

In the present study we set out to examine an audience segmentation system that can be used to inform global warming public engagement campaigns and to test survey-based identification tools designed by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication. A national poll was conducted in Spain with a representative sample of the population online (n = 602). The survey included measures concerning pro-environmental behavior and intentions, issue involvement, individuals’ beliefs, and preferred societal response. The population was classified with reference to their level of concern. Our results show four distinct interpretive communities, ranging from alarmist to dismissive. Overall, the largest audience segment was the concerned, who are convinced that global warming is happening but not engaged personally. The sample was classified using two-step cluster analysis, as we have a really large data set, which does clustering algorithms based on a distance measure. The relationships between the items were also examined in order to identify the possible correlations and recognize how behavior is affected by intentions, beliefs, preferred societal response, and issue involvement.

Which Factors Help Visitors Convert Their Short-Term Pro-Environmental Intentions to Long-Term Behaviors?

AbstractThe theoretical perspective of this study is to integrate Visitor Environmental Learning (VEL) into the Theory of Planed Behavior (TPB). The Xiangjiang Safari Park, which is one of the largest theme parks in Asia, was selected to test the conceptual model to examine whether Post-Visit Action Resources (PVAR), Ease of Behavior (EB), and Sunk Cost (SC) have the mediate/moderate effect on the relationship between short-term pro-environment intentions and long-term behaviors. The sample consisted of 269 tourists who have travel experience with the Xiangjiang Safari Park. Findings from a Structural Equation Model analysis show that post-visit action resources partially mediate the relationship between tourists’ short-term proenvironmental intentions and behaviors, and that ease of behavior and sunk cost both have moderating effects on this relationship. These findings indicate that a high level of post-visit action resources, ease of behavior and sunk cost are instrumental in encouraging visitors’ pro-...

Commitment to the environment and student support for “green” campus initiatives

Past research has demonstrated that commitment to the environment strongly predicts global pro-environmental intentions. This research is the first to examine whether the commitment to the environment model predicts college students’ endorsement of institutional-level changes that may be proposed by university or college administration. Participants were 96 college men and 142 college women who completed questionnaires designed to assess commitment to the environment constructs, willingness to sacrifice for the environment, and support for a series of campus conservation initiatives. A path analysis revealed that the commitment model predicted college students’ endorsement of hypothetical “green” campus initiatives. Specifically, commitment to the environment mediated the paths from satisfaction and investments to hypothetical green campus initiatives. Results suggest that endorsement of green campus initiatives may be better received on campuses by students who recognize their interdependence with the environment, characterized by high commitment to the natural environment.

Determinants of Visitor Pro-Environmental Intentions on Two Small Greek Islands: Is Ecotourism Possible at Coastal Protected Areas?

A relatively under-researched question is whether there is a possibility of influencing environmentally aware tourists regarding ecotourism at destinations that continue to develop under a pattern of mass 'seaside' tourism. Our objective was to assess the pro-environmental intentions of visitors at two small Greek islands, which are within a Natura 2000 site, specifically Paxoi and Antipaxoi. Intentions involved willingness to receive information about the protected area, willingness to accept pro-environmental limitations on recreational experience, and willingness-to-pay a conditional environmental conservation value added tax. In addition, we aimed to identify determinants of visitor pro-environmental intentions among visitor and visit characteristics, visitor satisfaction, and self-reported environmental knowledge, as well as anticipated outcomes of tourism development and suggestions for protected area management. We randomly collected 324 usable questionnaires during the summer season; 242 (74.69%) by Greek visitors and 82 (25.31%) by foreign visitors. Visitor satisfaction was quite high; however, visitors reported low levels of environmental knowledge. Our findings showed that the unique characteristics of the destination were not salient among visitors and that there is a lack of effective outreach campaigns, interpretation, and on-site environmental education programs. However, our study revealed high levels of visitor pro-environmental intentions that might support the promotion of ecotourism on the two islands. We provide recommendations based on determinants of visitor pro-environmental intentions, which might assist towards advancing visitor participation in environmental education projects, environmentally responsible behavior among visitors, and financial contribution to environmental conservation by visitors.

Determinants of young Australians’ environmental actions: the role of responsibility attributions, locus of control, knowledge and attitudes

The current study investigates determinants of young Australians’ pro-environmental intentions and actions. Two samples of young people took part in the research: 12 - 17-year-olds (N = 1529) currently in secondary schooling and 18 - 24-year-olds (N = 2192) in post-secondary schooling or workforce. All participants completed an online ‘Youth and the Environment Survey’ that assessed perceived responsibility of community and government to protect the environment, locus of control, environmental concern, self-reported environmental knowledge, pro-environmental intentions, pro-environmental behaviour and environmentally harmful behaviour. Attributing greater responsibility to the community was related to more positive environmental intentions and actions, whereas, attributing greater responsibility to the government for environmental protection was related to more negative environmental intentions and behaviour. In addition, young people with higher environmental concern and knowledge, and a more internal locus of control in relation to the environment, reported stronger pro-environmental intentions and behaviour, and less environmentally harmful behaviour.

Does globalisation affect consumers' pro-environmental intentions? A multilevel analysis across 25 countries

The aim of this paper is to empirically evaluate whether the process of globalisation, through which countries become increasingly interconnected, is related to pro-environmental intentions. Due to the hierarchical nature of the data, the study uses a multilevel modelling approach to cross-culturally test the impact of globalisation on pro-environmental intentions. Using an updated indicator of globalisation, the results from 25 nations show that economic, social and political openness are not related to pro-environmental intentions, as measured by willingness to sacrifice to protect the environment. This result implies that concern for the environment is a global phenomenon and not unique to the wealthy and more globalised nations. The findings of this paper highlight the importance of simultaneously assessing individual- and contextual-level variables in determining pro-environmental intentions across nations.

Effects of an Environmental Education Course on Consensus Estimates for Proenvironmental Intentions

An environmental education intervention in a university conservation-related course was designed to decrease students’ errors in consensus estimates for proenvironmental intentions, that is, their errors in guessing their classmates’ proenvironmental intentions. Before and after the course, the authors measured two intentions regarding willingness to contribute money and volunteer work for environmental causes. The false consensus effect, whereby contributors provide significantly higher consensus estimates compared with noncontributors, was displayed both before and after the course. Specifically, students intending to contribute believed most (51%-54%) of their classmates would contribute, and students not intending to contribute believed fewer (28%-35%) of their classmates would contribute. Accuracy in estimating consensus increased significantly after the course. Errors in consensus estimates were significant predictors of behavioral intentions. The study showed that the theoretical and methodological background of environmental education interventions can be enriched by incorporating consensus estimates for proenvironmental intentions in assessment procedures.

Wealth, Post-materialism and Consumers' Pro-environmental Intentions: A Multilevel Analysis across 25 Nations

This research aims to test Inglehart's thesis regarding the relationship between post-materialist values, wealth of nations and environmental intentions as measured by willingness to sacrifice to protect the environment. Due to the hierarchical nature of the data, the study uses multilevel and Bayesian multilevel modeling to cross-culturally test Inglehart's thesis. The results from 25 nations contradict Inglehart's thesis, which claims that environmental intentions are post-material values—a set of attitudes that develop among wealthy people once the more basic needs have been achieved. The general pattern of the results shows that willingness to sacrifice to protect the environment is a global phenomenon and not unique to the wealthy nations. The findings of this paper highlight the importance of simultaneously assessing individual-level and contextual-level variables in determining environmental intentions across nations. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Relationships between value orientations, self-determined motivational types and pro-environmental behavioural intentions

We examined the predictive power of egoistic, altruistic and biospheric value orientations and six types of self-determined motivations (i.e. intrinsic motivation, integrated regulation, identified regulation, introjected regulation, external regulation, and amotivation) toward acting pro-environmentally for explaining two types of pro-environmental intentions in two questionnaire studies among student samples (N = 304 and N = 520). The two pro-environmental intentional measures included choosing a car based on environmental performance and donating to an environmental organisation. Values were more predictive of pro-environmental intentions than were self-determined motivational types, although these differences were not always statistically significant. Furthermore, we explored how value orientations are related to self-determined motivational types. The more respondents were altruistically and biospherically oriented, the more they were self-determined to act pro-environmentally. When respondents endorsed egoistic values, they were less self-determined towards acting in a pro-environmental way. When altruistic and especially biospheric values were important predictors of pro-environmental intentions, stronger types of self-determined motivations were also important to explain intentions. And, when egoistic values contributed uniquely to the explanation of pro-environmental intentions, amotivation and external regulation (i.e. less self-determined motivational types) were most relevant for explaining intentions.

Existential threat and compliance with pro-environmental norms

Recent research on the effects of personal threat suggests that perceived threat might enhance pro-environmental behavior when pro-environmental norms are in focus. In three experiments we found support for the latter assumption, showing that mortality salience and salience of pro-environmental norms interacted in predicting pro-environmental attitudes and information search (Study 1), sustainable behavior in a forest management game (Study 2), as well as pro-environmental intentions and behavior (Study 3). Specifically, mortality salience increased pro-environmental conduct only when pro-environmental norms were salient. Moreover, norm salience only had an effect on pro-environmental attitudes and behavior when the threat of personal mortality was salient. We discuss the implications of these results for both terror management theory and the promotion of pro-environmental behaviors.

Comparing and Combining Theories to Explain Proenvironmental Intentions

This article addresses the need for systematic theory comparison and development in environmentally significant behavior (ESB) research. Using logistic regression ( N = 398), models based on Schwartz's norm-activation theory (NAT) and Ajzen's theory of planned behavior (TPB) were compared as explanations of drivers' intentions to reduce or maintain their car use for commuting. NAT explained more variance (McFadden R2 = .342). A model using NAT and TPB constructs was also tested. This explained more variance than either individual theory (McFadden R2 = .379). A personal-normative variable (NAT) and perceived behavioral control (TPB) were the only statistically-significant predictors of intentions in the model derived from both theories. It is argued that combining NAT and TPB constructs accounts for a range of influences on car-use intentions that neither individual theory fully captures. A combined model may also apply to other ESBs, especially those perceived as reducing personal utility (i.e., entailing sacrifice).

Value Orientations to Explain Beliefs Related to Environmental Significant Behavior

In environmental literature it is argued that three different value orientations may be relevant for understanding environmental beliefs and intentions: egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric. Until now, the distinction between altruistic and biospheric value orientations has hardly been supported empirically. In this article, three studies are reported aimed to examine whether an egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric value orientation can indeed be distinguished empirically by using an adapted value instrument. Also, it is examined whether these value orientations are differently and uniquely related to general and specific beliefs and behavioral intention. Results provide support for the reliability and validity of the value instrument. All studies replicated the distinction into three value orientations, with sufficient internal consistency. Furthermore, when altruistic and biospheric goals conflict, they seem to provide a distinct basis for proenvironmental intentions. The value instrument could therefore be useful to better understand relationships between values, beliefs, and intentions related to environmentally significant behavior.

Twenty years after Hines, Hungerford, and Tomera: A new meta-analysis of psycho-social determinants of pro-environmental behaviour

The goal of the present paper is a replication as well as an extension of the Hines et al. [(1986/87). Analysis and synthesis of research on responsible environmental behaviour: A meta-analysis. Journal of Environmental Education, 18, 1–8] meta-analysis on psycho-social determinants of pro-environmental behaviour. Based on information from a total of 57 samples the present meta-analysis finds mean correlations between psycho-social variables and pro-environmental behaviour similar to those reported by Hines et al. In a second step, the matrix of pooled correlations is used for a structural equation modelling (SEM) test of theoretically postulated structural relations between eight determinants of pro-environmental behaviour (so-called Meta-analytic SEM (MASEM)). MASEM results confirm that pro-environmental behavioural intention mediate the impact of all other psycho-social variables on pro-environmental behaviour (27% explained variance). Results also confirm that besides attitude and behavioural control personal moral norm is a third predictor of pro-environmental behavioural intention (52% explained variance). The MASEM also indicates that problem awareness is an important but indirect determinant of pro-environmental intention. Its impact seems to be mediated by moral and social norms, guilt and attribution processes.

Dolphin-human Interaction: Pro-environmental Attitudes, Beliefs and Intended Behaviours and Actions of Participants in Interpretation Programs: A Pilot Study

This paper reports on a comparison of the management and interpretation practices of two differing dolphin-human interaction sites in Queensland. The major objectives of the pilot study were to compare the management and dolphin-human interaction practices and to measure the post-experience effectiveness of the interpretation programs upon self-reported pro-environmental attitudes, beliefs, intended behaviours and intended actions of participants at the two sites. A further objective was to identify which interpretation practices were most effective in enhancing the intended proenvironmental behaviours and specific actions of the participants. A questionnaire based on the pro-environmental ‘attitudes, beliefs, behaviours and actions’ (ABBA) process, as presented in the paper, was administered to participants immediately after their dolphin-human interaction experience. Overall, visitors to both sites were very satisfied with their experience, but differences occurred between sites in individual satisfaction factors, visitor motivations and the degree to which participants perceived that their intended pro-environmental behaviours and actions were affected and/or enhanced. The effects upon pro-environmental attitudes and intentions were perceived to be directly related to the quality of the interpretation program offered.

Integrating social value orientation and the consideration of future consequences within the extended norm activation model of proenvironmental behaviour.

This study integrates social value orientation (Messick & McClintock, 1968) and the consideration of future consequences (CFC; Strathman, Gleicher, Boninger, & Edwards, 1994) within the extended norm activation model of proenvironmental behaviour (Stern, Dietz, & Kalof, 1993). A survey of college students (N = 161) revealed some preliminary support for the proposed model, using past and intended involvement in proenvironmental political behaviour as the primary outcome variables. Relative to proselfs, prosocials expressed stronger proenvironmental intentions and a stronger belief in the social consequences of environmental conditions. Relative to low CFCs, high CFCs expressed stronger proenvironmental intentions, greater involvement in proenvironmental behaviour, and a stronger belief in the personal, social and biospheric consequences of environmental conditions. Perceived consequences mediated the relationship between CFC and proenvironmental intentions and behaviour, and high CFCs evidence a stronger positive relationship between perceived social consequences and proenvironmental intentions.

Explaining Proenvironmental Intention and Behavior by Personal Norms and the Theory of Planned Behavior1

The value of personal norms (Schwartz, 1977) for proenvironmental behavior has been demonstrated in previous studies (e.g., Vining & Ebreo, 1992), but not in addition to the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen & Madden, 1986). In the present study, this combination was investigated by means of a mail survey among a sample of 305 Dutch citizens who were enlisted to participate in a behavioral change intervention program on environmentally relevant behavior. Personal norms appear to increase the proportion of explained variance in 5 intentions and 4 self‐reported measures of performed environmentally relevant behaviors beyond that explained by three of the theory of planned behavior constructs (i.e., attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control). Issues evoked by these results are discussed.