The relationship of environmental concern with public and private pro-environmental behaviours: A pre-registered meta-analysis

Previous meta-analyses identified a gap between environmental concern and pro-environmental behaviours. However, the failure to differentiate these behaviours and the influence of contextual factors may limit understanding of the gap. This pre-registered meta-analysis evaluated the magnitudes of the correlations of environmental concern, as measured by the New Environmental Paradigm of thinking, with public and private pro-environmental behaviours and investigated the moderating roles of sociocultural contexts. Environmental concern was found positively correlated with public pro-environmental behaviour (k = 10, N = 4636; r = 0.27) and private pro-environmental behaviour (k = 31, N = 20,907; r = 0.35). These two pooled correlations did not differ significantly. Institutionalization of environmental protection did not moderate these correlations, while cultural factors, including individualism, long-term orientation, and external control, did. These findings maintain the utility of environmental concern in facilitating different pro-environmental behaviours and highlight the lack of research attention on public pro-environmental behaviour.     

情感事件视角下空气污染触发的消极情绪对工作场所环保行为的动态影响机制

摘要 鉴于当今空气污染问题日益严峻,如何激发员工的环保行为成为了各界关注的话题。本研究基于情感事件理论,从主动的视角来探讨人们在空气污染情境中产生消极情绪后的积极应对行为。运用经验取样法,对68名在职员工进行了为期14天的跟踪调查。研究发现：（1）个体每日因空气污染引发的消极情绪与每日的环保行为正相关;（2）风险感知和环保激情在个体因空气污染引发的消极情绪与环保行为之间存在链式中介作用;（3）调节焦点调节了个体每日因空气污染引发的消极情绪对每日的环保行为的影响,防御焦点弱化二者间的关系,而促进焦点的调节作用不显著。以上成果丰富了人们对空气污染触发的消极情绪动态影响机制的认识,为后续研究提供了良好的研究视角和基础,为企业可持续发展的经营管理提供了的实践启示。     

The effect of cultural values on pro-environmental attitude in the context of travel mode choice: A hierarchical approach

The cultural theory explains social behavior through four elementary types of cultural values consisting of hierarchy, individualism, egalitarianism, and fatalism. The knowledge of how these values influence attitudes and behaviors specifically pertain to the environment is limited. Understanding individuals’ values and attitudes should be addressed in travel mode choice based on possible impacts of transportation on the environment. This study investigates the effect of cultural values on pro-environmental attitude and the influence of this attitude on travel mode choice in light of a hierarchical latent choice model. The model is estimated using data from a random sampling in CBD (Central Business District) of Tehran, Iran. The pro-environmental attitude, which is postulated to be affected by cultural values, is considered as the latent variable directly affecting travel mode choice. The cultural values drivers of pro-environmental attitude have been seen in a hierarchical structure. The estimated results show that hierarchical cultural tendency has the strongest and positive effect on being pro-environmental. Also, individualistic culture indicates a positive trend in being pro-environmental. On the other side, people with egalitarianism value tend to report an orientation towards pro-environmental attitude. Moreover, pro-environmental attitude increases the utility of public and active modes of transportation and a negative significant effect is found on the utility of private car and motorcycle.     

Pro-environmental attitudes,pro-environmental behaviours and nature-relatedness: Differences based on place preference

IntroductionThis study explored whether place preference, an individual's relationship with place, differentiated people on pro-environmental attitudes, nature-relatedness and pro-environmental behavior.ObjectiveThe aim was to provide a way to segment people and potentially inform behavior change messaging strategies targeting pro-environmental action.MethodOnline participants reported an urban/nature place preference, completed a sense of place measure in reference to this categorisation, followed by counter-balanced nature-relatedness, pro-environmental attitudes and pro-environmental behaviour measures.ResultsParticipants reported moderate-to-high levels of sense of place generally and place attachment specifically. Positive associations between sense of place, nature relatedness, pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours existed; but differed by place preference. Correlations were positive in the nature preference group but negative or non-significant in the urban preference group. Individuals with a nature preference reported higher nature-relatedness, pro-environmental attitudes and pro-environmental behavior.ConclusionThe results suggest place preference can discriminate individuals on a range of pro-environmental concepts and may have potential for behavior change strategies targeting these outcomes.     

物欲之蔽：物质主义对亲环境态度及行为的影响

纵观现有研究,物质主义较稳定地负向预测个体的亲环境态度、公领域亲环境行为以及私领域亲环境行为中的资源回收和节约行为。至于私领域亲环境行为中的绿色消费,研究结果在发达国家和发展中国家间存在不一致。基于环状价值观模型和价值-信念-规范理论,物质主义可以同时影响亲环境态度及行为,也能通过亲环境态度影响行为。未来研究应当增加对物质主义与亲环境态度、行为间因果关系、内在机制的探讨,以及提升现有研究结果的应用价值。     

“为逐利而追名”：社会观察和社会距离对亲环境行为的影响

研究采用绿色消费范式考察社会观察对亲环境行为的影响以及社会距离的作用。实验1探讨有、无互惠的社会观察对亲环境行为的影响。结果发现无互惠的社会观察未对亲环境行为产生影响;而有互惠的社会观察条件下的亲环境行为大于无观察条件（控制条件）。实验2探讨社会距离和有互惠的社会观察对亲环境行为的影响。结果发现,当环境结果的承担者指向熟人和陌生人时,有互惠的社会观察条件下的亲环境行为大于控制条件,而当环境结果的承担者指向密友时无此差异。这些结果说明,社会观察情境下人们为了在将来获益,会出于名誉的策略考虑而做出更多的亲环境行为,而社会距离在其中起着调节作用。     

Evaluations of pro-environmental behaviors by 7-month-old infants

Environmental morality is the foundation of a sustainable future, yet its ontogenetic origin remains unknown. In the present study, we asked whether 7-month-olds have a sense of ‘environmental morality’. Infants’ evaluations of two pro-environmental actions were assessed in both visual and reaching preferential tasks. In Experiment 1, the overt behavior of protecting (i.e., collecting artificial objects spread on a lawn) was compared with the action of harming the environment (i.e., by disregarding the objects). In Experiment 2, the covert behavior of protecting the environment (i.e., maintaining artificial objects inside a container) was compared with the action of harming the environment (i.e., littering the artificial objects on a lawn). The results showed infants’ reaching preference for the agent who performed overt pro-environmental actions (Experiment 1), and no preference for the agent who performed covert pro-environmental actions (Experiment 2). These findings reveal a rudimentary ecological sense and suggest that infants require different abilities to evaluate overt impact-oriented and covert intend-oriented pro-environmental behaviors.     

Breaking Bad: Existential Threat Decreases Pro-Environmental Behavior

Why is it that people do not change their behavior in the face of global threats? We hypothesized that when people who have been encouraged to engage in pro-environmental behavior are threatened, they fall back into their (bad) habits instead of exhibiting behavioral change; existential threats may thereby counteract pro-environmental norms. We tested this hypothesis in two field studies in which participants were encouraged to reduce paper use. Although the requests initially resulted in decreased paper use, this pro-environmental behavior ceased when an existential threat was induced. We discuss theoretical and practical implications for social psychology theorizing and behavioral change.     

A functional-cognitive framework for attitude research

In attitude research, behaviours are often used as proxies for attitudes and attitudinal processes. This practice is problematic because it conflates the behaviours that need to be explained (explanandum) with the mental constructs that are used to explain these behaviours (explanans). In the current chapter we propose a meta-theoretical framework that resolves this problem by distinguishing between two levels of analysis. According to the proposed framework, attitude research can be conceptualised as the scientific study of evaluation. Evaluation is defined not in terms of mental constructs but in terms of elements in the environment, more specifically, as the effect of stimuli on evaluative responses. From this perspective, attitude research provides answers to two questions: (1) Which elements in the environment moderate evaluation? (2) What mental processes and representations mediate evaluation? Research on the first question provides explanations of evaluative responses in terms of elements in the environment (functional level of analysis); research on the second question offers explanations of evaluation in terms of mental processes and representations (cognitive level of analysis). These two levels of analysis are mutually supportive, in that better explanations at one level lead to better explanations at the other level. However, their mutually supportive relation requires a clear distinction between the concepts of their explanans and explanandum, which are conflated if behaviours are treated as proxies for mental constructs. The value of this functional-cognitive framework is illustrated by applying it to four central questions of attitude research.     

Motivated or Demotivated to Be Creative: The Role of Self‐Regulatory Focus in Transformational and Transactional Leadership Processes

Numerous studies have recognised the importance of transformational leadership style for encouraging employees’ creativity. Self‐regulation studies have highlighted the influence of a promotion focus on employees’ creative behaviours. Yet both leadership and self‐regulation theories have paid less attention to the role transactional leadership style and situational prevention regulatory focus may play in affecting employees’ creativity. In this article we present a theoretical model which examines transformational and transactional leadership styles and both promotion and prevention situational self‐regulatory focus (SRF). The model suggests that while transformational leadership promotes creativity, at least partially by enhancing follower's situational promotion SRF, transactional leadership style (transactional active) is aligned with followers’ prevention situational SRF, which is associated with leaders’ hindering of followers’ creativity. Findings from two studies, an experimental study (N = 189) and a field study (N = 343 employees and 75 managers), support this model, showing that the relationship between different types of leadership and creativity are more complex than previously regarded. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

The Effects of a Self-sacrificing Minority on Pro-environmental Norms and Behavior: An Investigation Using a Sea Pollution Game

This research investigated how a minority member sacrificing his/her personal benefits to protect the environment might influence the attitudes and behavior of others. The experiment, using a sea pollution game, employed a 2(minority factor)×2(cost factor) factorial design. Under the high-cost condition, in which an ecological minority bears the substantial cost it was hypothesized that the rate of subjects' pro-environmental behavior would be higher in the one-minority case than in the no-minority case. In contrast, under the low-cost condition, the differences between these two cases would decrease. The results supported this assumption. In prompting pro-environmental behavior, a self-sacrification minority member is more influential than one whose behavior is not self-sacrificing. Moreover, under the one-minority condition, path analyses indicated that the subjects' cost evaluation did not affect their behavior. It was concluded that when the subjects saw an ecological minority, the inhibiting effects of cost on their pro-environmental behavior would decrease.     

物质主义对绿色消费的影响：促进还是抑制?

在物质主义价值观盛行的当今中国社会, 如何推进绿色消费这一举措是值得关注的问题。以往研究对于物质主义与绿色消费的关系得出了矛盾的结论。针对这一现状, 本研究以绿色产品本身的特征(炫耀性/非炫耀性)为切入点, 首先考察物质主义影响绿色消费的边界条件, 即绿色产品炫耀性的调节作用, 然后进一步探究物质主义促进炫耀性绿色消费及抑制非炫耀性绿色消费的心理机制, 最后在此基础上进行自然接触的干预研究, 以期为解决现有研究分歧提供全新的思路, 同时为企业和政府引导绿色消费提供管理建议。     

亲环境行为研究中情感的类别、维度及其作用机理

从近20年来境外学者对亲环境行为的研究文献看, 情感的作用越来越受到关注。一个大致结论是, 情感对亲环境行为的影响往往大于认知, 有更重要的驱动作用。首次对境外学者的情感与亲环境行为研究进行了梳理和回顾。在亲环境行为研究中, 情感的类别和维度有4种划分标准, 即呈现形态、体验结构、时间维度和责任归属; 情感对亲环境行为的作用机理可以通过情感因素在亲环境行为模型中的三种角色加以分析; 情感在规范激活模型和计划行为理论模型的拓展中扮演了重要角色, 有效提升了拓展模型的解释力。未来研究需要更重视情感在亲环境行为中的测量范式、研究深度和动态影响机制。     

Stress perçu et santé physique des doctorants dans les universités françaises

Few studies have focused on PhD students in France despite the fact that this population appears to be particularly vulnerable to stress and often faces precariousness. This research investigated associations between socio-demographic factors, health behaviours, perceived stress and physical health in a wide sample of PhD students (n = 1923) in order to have a better understanding of this population's specificities. Our results indicated that stress is a critical issue among PhD candidates. Predictors of perceived stress were: gender, age, satisfaction with supervision, sleep quality and sports practice. Findings from this study confirm the relevance of the transactional model to investigate students’ health issues and suggest that physical activity and stress management should be encouraged through health promotion programs.     

主观社会阶层对亲环境行为的影响: 物质主义价值观的中介作用

研究旨在通过两个实验分别探讨主观社会阶层对亲环境行为的影响及作用路径.结果发现:(1)主观社会阶层对亲环境行为具有显著正向影响,即主观社会阶层感知高的个体更愿意保护环境并为环境活动贡献金钱.(2)物质主义价值观在社会阶层影响亲环境行为中起完全中介作用,即高社会阶层的个体物质主义程度较低并更加亲环境,而低社会阶层的个体则...     

Big Five facets' associations with pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors

Climate change mandates us to understand why individuals do (not) behave pro-environmentally and personality traits are well suited for this purpose. Past research has mostly focused on how broad domain-level personality traits were associated with pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. In two datasets (N = 501 and 287), we examined whether personality facets provided a more detailed picture of how personality traits were associated with pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. It was found that some facets were the main drivers of domain-level associations. Furthermore, it was found that facets, collectively, predicted pro-environmental attitudes (r = .50 to .52) and behaviors (r = .29 to .42) in holdout datasets. This predictive ability was on par with the predictive ability of domains. Therefore, facets provided a greater understanding of how personality traits were associated with pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. Furthermore, facets provided a similar predictive ability of pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors to that of domains.     

Environmental Behavior of Visitors to a Science Museum

ABSTRACT

Increasingly, informal science and environmental education institutions are addressing conservation messaging and environmental behavior in programming, exhibits, and interpretation. Yet, little is known about what pro-environmental behaviors visitors are currently undertaking, what characteristics those environmental behaviors may have in common, and what differences might exist among visitor populations. This study investigated environmental behaviors and attitudes of visitors (N = 689) to an informal science museum, including separate foci on members and nonmembers based on previous work suggesting differences between the two groups. To improve research, policy, and educational interventions that address environmental behavior, researchers have long sought to uncover relationships among unique environmental behaviors. To this end, the authors explored whether five commonly recommended pro-environmental behaviors shared underlying characteristics that could be used to group those behaviors. They uncovered some dissimilarity in self-reported environmental behaviors among members and nonmembers. Although no single shared construct underlying the behaviors was evident, the authors did find, for nonmember visitors, a suite of three traditional environmental behaviors and, for members, a suite of four contemporary environmental behaviors. They discuss implications for practice and future research.     

Behaviour Change and Environmental Citizenship: A case for spiritual development?

In spite of the efforts that have been made to increase awareness and understanding of environmental issues, there is little evidence of a general adoption of pro-environmental behaviours that might characterize environmental citizenship. This paper argues that awareness and understanding are necessary but not sufficient, and reports research which suggests that sufficiency might need to be understood in spiritual terms. An argument is developed in favour of a citizenship founded upon transformative spiritual values in preference to a morality founded upon imposed notions of duty or obligation to support a value system which is itself arguably part of the problem. The primary objection to such an approach is that it would seem to rely upon the preservation of childhood spirituality through the teenage years into adulthood, and this is seen to present many difficulties for researchers, policy-makers and practitioners.     

Reducing the gap between pro-environmental disposition and behavior: The role of feeling power

Environmental issues are some of the most pressing threats the world is facing nowadays. In this context, motivating individual pro-environmental behavior becomes highly relevant. One strategy is to harness people's pro-environmental dispositions (e.g., biospheric values, pro-environmental attitudes). Although acknowledging the need to behave pro-environmentally lies at the core of these dispositions, the extent to which they are reflected in day-to-day pro-environmental practices fluctuates to a great extent. How to bridge this gap between dispositions and behaviors in pro-environmentalism? This research tests a novel psychological solution, that is, to heighten subjective feelings of power. Power depicts people's control over their own and others’ outcomes. Two studies (total N = 338, with n = 200 in Study 1 and n = 138 in Study 2) manipulated people's situational sense of high versus low power (by recalling and writing about relevant incidents), measured pro-environmental dispositions (biospheric values in Studies 1 and 2; attitude toward a specific environmental cause in Study 2), and examined their effects on pro-environmental behaviors (spending time on environmental persuasion in Study 1 and spending money on environmental donation in Study 2). Overall, both studies revealed that pro-environmental dispositions predicted pro-environmental behaviors, but only when the actors were prompted to experience a high instead of a low sense of power. The findings illuminate power as an important and viable communication tactic—to orient people toward their dispositions and practice what they preach in pro-environmentalism.