Locus of control and perceptions of environmental risk factor: Inhabitants of slums facing domestic garbage

Abstract

The status that the locus of control plays as a moderator variable in relation to exposure to environmental stressors, has been widely discussed in the recent scientific literature. Nevertheless, little research has been done in developing countries to establish the predictive qualities of this variable regarding the proactive attitudes or avoidance behaviours that certain populations could adopt in relation to the management of specific stress factors. In the research reported here we have tried to identify some variables which distinguish the propensity to identify the presence of domestic garbage as a nuisance or as a health risk factor, among inhabitants of certain ghettos in the Dominican Republic. The methodological considerations relating to the construction, validation and use of questionnaires among potentially illiterate populations are discussed.

Ways of thinking about the incinerator: A typology of citizens’ mindsets

“…Thus, it seems reasonable to expect that if high self-efficacy citizens trust public institutions, they would also tend to collaborate with them, whereas they would be in contrast with public institutions in case of low trust. Moreover, a low perception of control by individuals with respect to their physical and social environment is typically associated with social disengagement (Larose & Pontom, 2000) that may take the form of delegation in cases of trust in public institutions, and political alienation or fatalism in cases of low trust. In sum, trust toward local institutions and self-efficacy might be the psychological anchor in the social representations about the incinerator.…”