Environmental Concern and Values

Overview

• Definitions: Understanding environmental concern and environmental values.
• Environmental Concern: The degree to which people are aware, worry, support, and personally committed to solving environmental problems.
• Environmental Values: Guiding principles in life related to environmental concern and pro-environmental behavior.

Key Concepts

Environmental Concern

• Awareness of environmental problems.
• Worrying about environmental problems.
• Support for efforts to solve these problems.
• Personal commitment to addressing these problems.

Environmental Values

• Guiding Principles: Principles in life related to the environment.
• Impact on behavior and attitudes towards environmental problems.

Major Theories and Models

New Ecological Paradigm (NEP)

• Developed by Riley Dunlap.
• Worldviews: Two contrasting worldviews (Dominant Social Paradigm (DSP) and NEP).
• Dominant Social Paradigm (DSP): Views humans as separate from and superior to nature.
• New Ecological Paradigm (NEP): Views humans as part of nature.

NEP Measurement

• 15-Item Measure: Consists of 15 statements with five sub-scales.
  • Reality of Limits to Growth
  • Rejection of Exemptionalism
  • Integrity of Nature's Balance
  • Possibility of Eco-crisis
  • Anti-Anthropocentrism
• Hypothesis: Believing in NEP motivates environmental concern and pro-environmental behavior.

Self-Enhancement vs. Self-Transcendence Values

• Developed by Schwartz.
• Self-Enhancement Values: Focus on personal interest, comfort, convenience, wealth, status, and power.
• Self-Transcendence Values: Focus on the well-being of others and nature.
  • Sub-categories: Social altruistic values and biospheric values.
• Findings: Self-transcendence values are positively related to environmental concern and behavior.

Value Sources of Environmental Concern

• Development: By P. Wesley Schultz.
• Categories: Egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric values.
• Measurement: 12-item measure with a 10-point scale.
• Implication: Increase environmental concern and behavior by appealing to personal values (values framing).

Diversity and Environmental Concern

Gender Differences

• Women score higher in environmental concern compared to men.
• Women more likely to support NEP and rate higher on altruistic values.
• Possible reasons include gender socialization and caregiving roles.

Cultural Differences

• Environmental concern is high worldwide but varies by culture.
• Different cultures prioritize different sources of concern (egoistic vs. biospheric).

Political Affiliation

• Democrats tend to score higher on environmental values and concern compared to Republicans.

Additional Factors

• Education, religion, personality, urban vs. rural backgrounds, and recreational activities also influence environmental concern.

Conclusion

• Growth in environmental concern is positive.
• Next topics include barriers to pro-environmental behavior and psychological solutions.
• Emphasis on promoting pro-environmental behavior.

Next Lecture

• Relationship between environmental concern and behavior.
• Psychological solutions to foster pro-environmental behavior.
• Barriers to pro-environmental behavior.

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