Psychology and Ecology: Beliefs in Technology and the Diffusion of Ecological Responsibility

The attitudes of individuals who engage in environmentally responsible activities (e.g., recycling, energy conservation, community projects, consumer boycotting, etc.) with either low, moderate, or high frequency were compared using semantic differential techniques. Results showed that evaluative dimension scores for "pollution," "technology," and "nature" yielded a multiple-R of .63 with the behavioral criterion. Attitude toward pollution was a strong predictor of involvement in anti-pollution activities. Also, strong beliefs in technology may diffuse environmental responsibility in a way analogous to the presence of other bystanders in interpersonal altruistic situations. Taken together, the results indicate that personal commitment to environmentally corrective behaviors is importantly determined by the person's evaluative response to widely publicized environmental topics. Further theoretical and educational implications are also discussed.