scholarly journals Values and their relationship to pro-environmental engagement: A comprehensive and systematic investigation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Pollyane Kahelen da Costa Diniz

<p>Environmental problems are a result of maladaptive human behaviour. One way to tackle these problems is by fostering values that underlie pro-environmental engagement. Research has shown that self-transcendence values (e.g., social justice, equality, and world at peace) are positively correlated to environmental attitudes and behaviours. The present research aims to advance past research by systematically assessing the role of values in motivating individuals’ pro-environmental engagement. Three empirical studies were conducted. Study 1 used a meta-analytical approach to provide a quantitative summary of research on the link between values and environmental outcomes. The final dataset included 47,660 participants from 41 countries and 90 independent samples. Results showed that the self-transcendence versus self-enhancement values dimension is the most often considered in the literature and, as expected, self-transcendence values are the best predictors of environmental outcomes. The analysis also showed that methodological aspects, such as the type of values measured, affected the association between values and environmental outcomes. Study 2 comprised two experiments using the value self-confrontation technique to promote value change and influence individuals’ environmental behavioural intentions. Experiment 1 was conducted with 189 university students (M = 20.00, SD = 3.43). Results from Experiment 1 showed that values were susceptible to change and that value change predicted environmental behavioural intentions. Experiment 2 was conducted with a sample of 115 participants from the general population (M = 35.00, SD = 4.61) and partially replicated the findings of Experiment 1. Importantly, Experiment 2 found that value change was dependent on how strongly individuals felt connected to the reference group. Study 3 tested the moderation effect of moral identity, self-efficacy, self-control and consideration of future consequences in the link between values and environmental behavioural intentions. A total of 221 participants (M = 21.68; SD = 5.92) took part in an online survey. Results indicated that only moral identity moderated the relationship between values and environmental behavioural intentions. It was found that moral identity enhanced the positive influence of self-transcendence values on environmental behavioural intentions. Findings are discussed considering the key role of self-transcendence values in fostering environmental behavioural intentions and the importance of identity in the values-environmental behavioural intentions link. Practical implications of the findings are also discussed.  Note: This thesis was a finalist for the Outstanding Postgraduate Research Award.</p>

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Pollyane Kahelen da Costa Diniz

<p>Environmental problems are a result of maladaptive human behaviour. One way to tackle these problems is by fostering values that underlie pro-environmental engagement. Research has shown that self-transcendence values (e.g., social justice, equality, and world at peace) are positively correlated to environmental attitudes and behaviours. The present research aims to advance past research by systematically assessing the role of values in motivating individuals’ pro-environmental engagement. Three empirical studies were conducted. Study 1 used a meta-analytical approach to provide a quantitative summary of research on the link between values and environmental outcomes. The final dataset included 47,660 participants from 41 countries and 90 independent samples. Results showed that the self-transcendence versus self-enhancement values dimension is the most often considered in the literature and, as expected, self-transcendence values are the best predictors of environmental outcomes. The analysis also showed that methodological aspects, such as the type of values measured, affected the association between values and environmental outcomes. Study 2 comprised two experiments using the value self-confrontation technique to promote value change and influence individuals’ environmental behavioural intentions. Experiment 1 was conducted with 189 university students (M = 20.00, SD = 3.43). Results from Experiment 1 showed that values were susceptible to change and that value change predicted environmental behavioural intentions. Experiment 2 was conducted with a sample of 115 participants from the general population (M = 35.00, SD = 4.61) and partially replicated the findings of Experiment 1. Importantly, Experiment 2 found that value change was dependent on how strongly individuals felt connected to the reference group. Study 3 tested the moderation effect of moral identity, self-efficacy, self-control and consideration of future consequences in the link between values and environmental behavioural intentions. A total of 221 participants (M = 21.68; SD = 5.92) took part in an online survey. Results indicated that only moral identity moderated the relationship between values and environmental behavioural intentions. It was found that moral identity enhanced the positive influence of self-transcendence values on environmental behavioural intentions. Findings are discussed considering the key role of self-transcendence values in fostering environmental behavioural intentions and the importance of identity in the values-environmental behavioural intentions link. Practical implications of the findings are also discussed.  Note: This thesis was a finalist for the Outstanding Postgraduate Research Award.</p>


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0248353
Author(s):  
Antonia Misch ◽  
Susanne Kristen-Antonow ◽  
Markus Paulus

In the past year, an unprecedented climate movement has risen among European youth, so-called "Fridays4Future" (F4F). Thousands of pupils skip school every Friday to protest for better climate politics. The public debate on the protests contains highly mixed reactions, including praise as well as condemnation. Recent theoretical accounts propose that people’s engagement in community service and actions towards a greater good could be related to their moral identity. Moral identity (MI) is defined as the extent to which being moral is important to the personal identity. The current preregistered study investigates the link between moral identity and participants’ support for F4F in an online survey (N = 537). Results confirm the association between participants’ moral identity and their support for F4F, with the internalization scale predicting passive forms of support and the symbolization scale predicting active forms of support. Additionally, risk perception was found to play an important role. Thus, this study confirms the role of moral identity in people’s pro-environmental engagement and offers new insights in the context of an important and timely issue.


2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 415-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafi M. M. I. Chowdhury

This study constitutes a theoretically grounded exploration of the factors that mediate the relationship between consumer values and ethical beliefs. An online survey of US consumers was conducted to explore potential mediators of the effects of personal values on consumers’ ethical beliefs. The results show that moral identity and dimensions of Machiavellianism (amoral manipulation, desire for control) mediate the effects of self-transcendence orientation (the importance of self-transcendence values relative to that of self-enhancement values) and conservation orientation (the importance of conservation values relative to that of openness-to-change values) on beliefs about unethical consumer actions. Furthermore, moral identity mediates the effects of self-transcendence orientation and conservation orientation on beliefs about pro-social actions. These results demonstrate that personal values, moral character, and belief systems all influence consumer ethics. Macromarketing implications for public policy, particularly education policy, are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatikha Agissova ◽  
Elena Sautkina

Although it is widely accepted that personal values of Self-Transcendence are a positive predictor of environmentalism, and Self-Enhancement values are a negative one, these results are not conclusive for all cultural contexts. Regarding political ideologies, research concludes that liberals tend to be more concerned about the environment than conservatives. However, this two-dimensional take on political ideologies does not grasp the diversity of political views, which could be achieved by focusing on political values. In this research, we studied the role of personal and political values in predicting environmental attitudes and behavior in Kazakhstan, a developing country in Central Asia. Using an online survey (n = 305), we found that Security was a strong predictor of both environmental concern and New Environmental Paradigm (NEP), overshadowing the effect of traditionally accepted value dimensions of Self-Transcendence and Self-Enhancement. While Self-Direction positively predicted environmental concern, Universalism and Benevolence were positive predictors of NEP. Among political values, Civil Liberties predicted NEP positively, and had no significant effect on environmental concern, while Free Enterprise predicted environmental concern negatively, and had no significant effect on NEP. Environmental concern was a strong predictor of all pro-environmental behaviors included in the study (littering, recycling, environmental citizenship, and community action), fully mediating the effect of NEP. Based on personal and political values, three profiles of Kazakhstanis who engaged differently in pro-environmental behavior were identified.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 146-157
Author(s):  
Fedai Kabadayı ◽  
Mustafa Şahin

The aim of this study is to predict career search self-efficacy. In this context, predictive variables are self-transcendence, self-consciousness and self-control and self-management. The research data obtained from 1278 university students. 786 (61.5%) were girls. Regression analysis and correlation analysis were used. According to the findings, it was determined that self- transcendence, self-control and self-management, social anxiety, appearance consciousness and internal self-awareness were significant predictors of career search self-efficacy. The strongest predictor is the variable self-transcendence. In this context, experimental interventions or psycho-educational programs based on these skills, which are related to the self, can be tested in order to increase career search self-efficacy.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine D. Marcum ◽  
Barbara H. Zaitzow ◽  
George E. Higgins

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of university students with nonconsensual pornography. The focus of the present work is on nonconsensual pornography – the nonconsensual distribution of intimate images and sexual extortion – that are becoming common experiences for many people. While the forms of nonconsensual pornography may vary, each case has one thing in common: the offender has shared a private image of the victim without the victim’s consent. Design/methodology/approach The data for this study was collected from student participants at a southeastern university. The stratified sample of university students was sent a link to an online survey and the responses of those who chose to respond were used in subsequent analyses (n = 300). Findings The findings of this exploratory study show low self-control as a significant predictor of sexting. Significant predictors of victimization via nonconsensual pornography included participation in sexting and use of dating apps. Originality/value While not generalizable, the descriptive data provide an important landscape for consideration of policy and legal recommendations to protect potential victims as well as would-be perpetrators beyond a university setting.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manfred Hammerl ◽  
Florian Dorner ◽  
Thomas Foscht ◽  
Marion Brandstätter

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the role played by both, self-brand connection and reference groups, in attributing symbolic meaning to a brand. Current studies focus either on the influence of reference groups or on the role of self-brand connection. We demonstrate that both interact in attributing symbolic meaning. To explain interactions between the consumer, the brand and the reference groups, we draw on Heider’s balance theory. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was developed which included scales on self-brand connection, reference group belonging and symbolic brand meaning. Data were collected through an online survey and analyzed with factor analyses, analyses of variance and correlation analyses. Findings – Our findings suggest that consumers may alter their beliefs about a brand depending on both, their self-brand connection and the influence of reference groups. If a consumer feels a strong connection with a brand and this brand is used by a dissociative reference group, the consumer will not attribute high symbolic meaning to that brand. The same is valid if the consumer’s in-group uses a brand which the consumer does not feel connected to. Originality/value – The present study introduces Heider’s balance theory to the fields of reference group research and self-brand connection research. Balance theory has proved to be a valuable framework for analyzing the relationships of consumers, their brands and their reference groups in the context of attributing symbolic brand meaning. Building on these insights, researchers and practitioners may better understand the emergence of symbolic brand meaning hereafter.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-87
Author(s):  
Rabiah Adawiah Abu Seman ◽  
Nooraneda Mutalip Laidey ◽  
Rizwanah Shouket Ali

The 14th Malaysia General Elections (GE14) in 2018 witnessed a historic victory for the opposition party led by Tun Mahathir Mohamed against the 60 years government holding party; BN coalition. Concurrently, it also witnessed social media tools; WhatsApp and Facebook as the most dominant and effective messaging tools, but also a source of fake and unverified news; followed by blogs and other sources. Prior to the election, the Anti-Fake News Act 2018 had been enforced in April 2018 where any creation, offering, publishing, distribution or dissemination of fake news is a crime. This research explores the effect of Anti-Fake News Act 2018 on netizens' political engagement through Facebook and Whatsapp during the 14th Malaysia General Election 2018 with impulsivity and habitual conduct as moderators. Data has been collected from 556 participants through online survey based on a framework integrating Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and Self Control Theory (SCT). Limited studies have tested the integration of TPB and SCT on knowledge about Anti-Fake News Act 2018 and political engagement. The findings of the study explain the influence of knowledge, impulsivity and habitual conduct on political engagement among Malaysian netizens through Facebook and Whatsapp during the GE14. Political engagement intensity has changed consequently after the Anti-Fake News Act 2018’s enforcement due to impulsivity. This study further adds to the literature in the area of online political participation and cyber law; uncovering the role of impulsivity and habitual conduct on netizens’ political engagement, suggesting the basis for future research in this phenomenon.


Author(s):  
Shira Bukchin-Peles ◽  
Tammie Ronen

Considering adolescents’ developmentally driven stressors and social needs, they may be particularly vulnerable to the anxiety associated with the public health and economic crises due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, they may have difficulty following the mandated contagion prevention directives. The current study focused on the role of adolescents’ positive personal resources (self-control, hope) and environmental resources (peer support) in two desired outcomes during the COVID-19 outbreak: wellbeing (i.e., maintaining/increasing positivity ratio) and contagion prevention behaviors (i.e., increasing handwashing). Path analysis was conducted using online survey data collected from a representative sample of 651 Israeli adolescents (ages 13–17). Positive resources were found to be both positively intercorrelated and negatively correlated with pandemic-related anxiety and positively with increased handwashing. Self-control correlated positively with social support, which, in turn, correlated positively with the positivity ratio (i.e., more positive than negative affects) and pandemic-related anxiety. Self-control and pandemic-related anxiety both correlated positively with increased prevention behavior. This study highlights the vital role of positive resources in achieving desired psychological and behavioral outcomes for adolescents during the anxiety-provoking pandemic. Beyond its theoretical innovation, this study offers practical value by focusing on malleable variables that could be the focus of dedicated interventions.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document