Values and their Relationship to Environmental Concern and Conservation Behavior

Abstract

Recent research has examined the relationship between values and attitudes about environmental issues. Findings from these studies have found values of self-transcendence (positively) and self-enhancement (negatively) to predict general concern for environmental problems. Other recent findings have differentiated between environmental attitudes based on concern for self (egoistic), concern for other people (social-altruistic), and concern for plants and animals (biospheric).This article reports the results from a study of the relationship between values and environmental attitudes in six countries: Brazil, Czech Republic, Germany, India, New Zealand, and Russia. Results show strong support for the cross-cultural generalizability of the relationship between values and attitudes and on the structure of environmental concern. In addition, analyses of the relationship between values and environmental behavior show evidence for norm activation only for self-transcendence; results for self-enhancement show a consistently negative relationship.

First International Conference on Resource Efficiency in Interorganizational Networks – ResEff 2013 –

“…This preference applied the stronger the more ecofriendly the consumer. This result is in line with previous research showing that ecologically aware consumers tend to behave eco-friendly (e.g., Bang et al, 2000;Schultz et al, 2005). The innovative part lies in the positioning of WPC in the continuum between solid wood and full plastics.…”

Bringing values and deliberation to science communication

“…Cultures and individuals differ in the weight they give to each of these. However, both of these dimensions are strong predictors of risk perceptions and concern with environmental issues (90)(91)(92)(93)(94). Early theoretical expectations have suggested that deliberative processes might make people more altruistic by encouraging them to see the point of view of others, and there is some evidence in support of the argument (95)(96)(97).…”

Local is not always better: the impact of climate information on values, behavior and policy support

“…Prior research indicates that individuals who value the well-being of larger communities-i.e., those high in self-transcendence-are more likely to harbor pro-environmental attitudes and take pro-environmental action than individuals who value personal gain and status-i.e., self-enhancement (e.g., Gagnon Thompson and Barton 1994;Karp 1996). Thus, people with strong selftranscendent value orientations tend to be more concerned about the environment and more likely to act compared to those who prize self enhancement (e.g., Garvill 2002, 2003;Schultz et al 2005;Schultz and Zelezny 1999;Slimak and Dietz 2006;Steg and de Groot 2012;Stern et al 1995;see de Groot and Steg 2008 for a review).…”