Influential factors of environmental behavior to reduce air pollution: integrating theories of planned behavior and psychological distance

Author(s):  
Yang Cheng ◽  
Changlin Ao ◽  
Biqi Mao ◽  
Lishan Xu
2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 759-775
Author(s):  
Shyang-Chyuan Fang ◽  
Tai-Kuei Yu ◽  
Tai-Yi Yu ◽  
I-Cheng Chang

To help mitigate and educate the negative impacts of emerging contaminants (ECs), this research tried to realize the environmental attitude and environmental behavioral intention of students in the field of environmental education at higher education level. However, little is known about integration of psychological distance, environmental attitude, behavioral intention and effective teaching strategies on emerging contaminants for undergraduate students within a behavior model. This research proposed a pro-environmental behavior model, integrated with Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) model and psychological distance to realize causal relationships among latent variables that instructors concerned. In a cross-sectional survey, this research effectively surveyed 851 respondents of five universities in Taiwan through self-report questionnaires. This research utilized bootstrapping manner and Smart-PLS software to identify the crucial relationships between two formative factors (environmental attachment and psychological distance), value and beliefs and behavior intention on ECs. The level of ECs knowledge was treated as a moderator, and results indicated significant moderator effects on environmental attachment toward environmental attitude, and environmental attitude toward behavioral intention. The results provide empirical support for some previous identified barriers to pro-environmental behavioral intention and suggest guidelines for effective pro-environmental behavior on ECs issues. Key words: partial least squares, behavioral intention, emerging contaminants, theory of planned behavior, value–belief–norm theory.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10556
Author(s):  
Caterina Lucarelli ◽  
Camilla Mazzoli ◽  
Sabrina Severini

The COVID-19 pandemic and climate change issues present evident interdependencies which justify the spread of connected beliefs. We examine possible changes in individuals’ pro-environmental behavior in light of this pandemic, using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework. A questionnaire survey was submitted to the same sample of individuals, before and during the pandemic. Our evidence, based on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), shows that the COVID-19 pandemic has not led to a weakening in TPB construct relationships, or in related Pro-Environmental Behavior (PEB). Conversely, through our Partial Least Squares-Multi-Group Analysis (PLS-MGA), we show that individuals with greater awareness of interdependencies between the COVID-19 and climate change exhibit both higher Intention and reinforced Pro-Environmental Behaviors. This finding reveals interesting policy implications in terms of innovative behavioral drivers that should be employed to steer public support towards climate-oriented initiatives.


2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Schwabe

Abstract Harmful and sudden events trigger intense media coverage which in turn can elevate public interest in a problem within an instant. A period of heavy air pollution in Beijing in January 2013 may have been such a case. This sudden and intense period of air pollution featured historically high levels of fine particulate concentrations and was assumed by observers to be a trigger for shifting public perception and increased pressure for policy adjustment. This study examines whether this period of severe air pollution indeed triggered increased public scrutiny, following which the influential factors behind this development are outlined. In this context, a focus is given to the interplay of air quality, media reporting and public discussion in shaping sustained public interest. Based on a timeline analysis and survey data, it is argued that the combination of historically high air pollution with intense media reporting did lead to higher public attention to the topic.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chanin Yoopetch

Purpose First, this study aims to investigate the factors affecting entrepreneurial intentions. Second, it is to identify the influential factors with the highest influence on entrepreneurial intention. Design/methodology/approach The sample of the current study was female employees in various hospitality firms, including restaurants, hotels and wellness services. The questionnaire was developed based on past research studies and was tested for reliability prior to the full set of data collection. To represent the early to mid-level career women in hospitality, female employees with at least one-year experience from hospitality businesses, such as restaurants and hotels, participated in the study and total usable samples were 416. Findings The findings demonstrated that attitude toward risk-taking, self-efficacy, subjective norm and empowerment is significantly influential to the entrepreneurial intention of the women in the hospitality industry. Based on the data analysis, attitude toward risk-taking has the highest influence on entrepreneurial intention. In other words, with a positive attitude toward risk-taking, female employees showed the greatest tendency to start their own business. Research limitations/implications The current study extended the theory of planned behavior in that it can be used to explain the women’s entrepreneurial intention with subjective norms, attitudes and self-efficacy. The study also highlighted the flexibility of the theory in allowing the researchers to add external variables to help further investigate the relationships among all the factors in the models. Practical implications To highlight the opportunity to promote more equality and diversity in the business management environments, the results from the study promoted the roles of women entrepreneurs to support hospitality business development. One of the most influential factors is the attitude toward risk-taking. This suggested that with the positive attitude toward risk, the respondents have higher entrepreneurial intentions. Promoting and sharing the success stories of female entrepreneurs can affect the attitude of female employees and raise their interests toward becoming entrepreneurs. Originality/value The current study provided a unique investigation on the early to mid-level career hospitality female employees to explore their intention to be entrepreneurs. This research offered the extension of the theory of planned behavior in the context of entrepreneurship.


Author(s):  
Mei Yang ◽  
Hong Fan ◽  
Kang Zhao

Aiming at improving the air quality and protecting public health, policies such as restricting factories, motor vehicles, and fireworks have been widely implemented. However, fine-grained spatiotemporal analysis of these policies’ effectiveness is lacking. This paper collected the hourly meteorological and PM2.5 data for three typical emission scenarios in Hubei, Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH), and Yangtze River Delta (YRD). Then, this study simulated the PM2.5 concentration under the same meteorological conditions and different emission scenarios based on a reliable hourly spatiotemporal random forest model ( R 2 exceeded 0.84). Finally, we investigated the fine-grained spatiotemporal impact of restricting factories, vehicles, and fireworks on PM2.5 concentrations from the perspective of hours, days, regions, and land uses, excluding meteorological interference. On average, restricting factories and vehicles reduced the PM2.5 concentration at 02:00, 08:00, 14:00, and 20:00 by 18.57, 16.22, 25.00, and 19.07 μ g / m 3 , respectively. Spatially, it had the highest and quickest impact on Hubei, with a 27.05 μ g / m 3 decrease of PM2.5 concentration and 17 day lag to begin to show significant decline. This was followed by YRD, which experienced a 23.52 μ g / m 3 decrease on average and a 23 day lag. BTH was the least susceptible; the PM2.5 concentration decreased by only 8.2 μ g / m 3 . In addition, influenced by intensive human activities, the cultivated, urban, and rural lands experienced a larger decrease in PM2.5 concentration. These empirical results revealed that restricting factories, vehicles, and fireworks is effective in alleviating air pollution and the effect showed significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity. The policymakers should further investigate influential factors of hourly PM2.5 concentrations, combining with local geographical and social environment, and implement more effective and targeted policies to improve local air quality, especially for BTH and the air quality at morning and night.


2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (10) ◽  
pp. 1156-1172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rose Meleady ◽  
Dominic Abrams ◽  
Julie Van de Vyver ◽  
Tim Hopthrow ◽  
Lynsey Mahmood ◽  
...  

By leaving their engines idling for long periods, drivers contribute unnecessarily to air pollution, waste fuel, and produce noise and fumes that harm the environment. Railway level crossings are sites where many cars idle, many times a day. In this research, testing two psychological theories of influence, we examine the potential to encourage drivers to switch off their ignition while waiting at rail crossings. Two field studies presented different signs at a busy rail crossing site with a 2-min average wait. Inducing public self-focus (via a “Watching Eyes” stimulus) was not effective, even when accompanied by a written behavioral instruction. Instead, cueing a private-self focus (“think of yourself”) was more effective, doubling the level of behavioral compliance. These findings confirm the need to engage the self when trying to instigate self-regulatory action, but that cues evoking self-surveillance may sometimes be more effective than cues that imply external surveillance.


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