Male-Female Differences in Concern for Environmental Quality

Tested the hypothesis that females are significantly more concerned about environmental quality than are males. 806 Ss drawn from a probability sample of Washington State residents (the "public" sample) and 407 Ss drawn from a membership register of a Washington State environmental organization (the "environmentalist" sample) were studied. All Ss completed several measures (e.g., population control and resource conservation scales and a public behavior scale) that assessed the degree of consistency in Ss' concern for various aspects of environmental quality, including population control and pollution, resource conservation, environmental regulations and spending, and personal and public behavior. Results provide modest support for the hypothesis; the expected relatonship was found for 5 of the 7 measures of environmental concern within the public sample and for 6 of the 7 within the environmentalist sample. Results suggest that women are more likely than men to express their concern for environmental quality through everyday decisions regarding personal behavior, whereas men are more likely to express their concern by attempting to influence the decisions and behaviors of others (i.e., by taking socio-political action in the public arena). (28 ref)