The Roles of Attitudinal and Personality Variables in the Prediction of Environmental Behavior and Knowledge
Arbuthnot, J. (1977). The roles of attitudinal and personality variables in the prediction of environmental behavior and knowledge. Environment and Behavior, 9, 2, 217-232.
Suggests that the success of environmental policies and action programs may well depend upon an understanding of the impact of intraindividual variables on responses to environmental problems. A survey designed to assess environmental behavior, attitudes, and knowledge, as well as several personality dimensions (e.g., personal control, self-esteem, conventionalism, social responsibility, and time orientation), was administered to 2 diverse samples: 85 users of a recycling center and 60 conservative church members. The 2 samples differed systematically as predicted on behavior, attitude, knowledge, and personality characteristics. Stepwise multiple regression analyses (with a 3rd sample of 69 college students added) revealed that education, knowledge, and environmentally related attitudes best predicted recycling behavior, while exposure to information through books, personality, and attitudes best predicted environmental knowledge. Implications are drawn for environmental action programs. (20 ref)
