Explaining energy efficiency behaviours among Argentinean citizens through the VBN model / Explicación de los comportamientos de eficiencia energética entre ciudadanos argentinos a través del modelo VCN
Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online October, 2016
Explaining energy efficiency behaviours among Argentinean citizens through the VBN model / Explicación de los comportamientos de eficiencia energética entre ciudadanos argentinos a través del modelo VCN
In Argentina, energy consumption is characterized by a high dependence on fossil fuels and a low cost for final consumers. Therefore, to encourage energy efficiency it is important to know which non-financial factors influence energy use. Numerous evidences suggest that the Value-Belief-Norm model (VBN) is an adequate framework to understand this behaviour. However, few studies tested VBN to predict energy efficiency behaviour and even fewer did so in Latin America. Our aim was to test whether a VBN model was successful for predicting household energy efficiency behaviours among Argentinian citizens (n = 275). Results showed that the VBN model indeed explained self-reported energy efficiency. Importantly, a VBN model version assessed by means of a path analysis showed a good fit to the data. Biospheric values and personal norms were particularly strong predictors of household energy efficiency. These results indicate that personal norms, activated by values, are able to predict energy efficiency actions in an Argentinean sample. These evidences suggest that moral considerations should be promoted in order to increase energy efficiency actions in Argentina.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AbrahamseW.StegL. (2009). How do socio-demographic and psychological factors relate to households’ direct and indirect energy use and savings?Journal of Economic Psychology, 30, 711–720. doi:10.1016/j.joep.2009.05.006
2.
AbrahamseW.StegL. (2011). Factors related to household energy use and intention to reduce it: The role of psychological and socio-demographic variables. Research in Human Ecology, 18, 30–40.
3.
AbrahamseW.StegL.VlekC.RothengatterT. (1995). A review of intervention studies aimed at household energy conservation. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 25, 273–291. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2005.08.002
4.
BlackJ. S.SternP. C.ElworthJ. T. (1985). Personal and contextual influences on household energy adaptations.Journal of Applied Psychology, 70, 3–21. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.70.1.3
5.
ChenM.-F. (2015). An examination of the value-belief-norm model model in predicting pro-environmental behaviour in Taiwan. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 18, 145–151. doi:10.1111/ajsp.12096
6.
CohenJ. (1992). A power primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 155–159. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.112.1.155
7.
De GrootJ. I. M.StegL. (2009). Morality and prosocial behaviour: The role of awareness, responsibility, and norms in the norm activation model. The Journal of Social Psychology, 149, 425–449. doi:10.3200/SOCP.149.4.425-449
8.
De GrootJ. I. M.StegL.DickeM. (2008). Transportation trends from a moral perspective: Value orientations, norms and reducing car use. In GustavssonF. N. (Ed.), New transportation research progress (pp. 67–91). Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers.
9.
FornaraF.PattitoniP.MuraM.StrazzeraE. (2016). Predicting intention to improve household energy efficiency: The role of value-belief-norm theory, normative and informational influence, and specific attitude. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 45, 1–10. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2015.11.001
10.
HuL.BentlerP. (1995). Evaluating model fit. In HoyleR. (Ed.), Structural equation modelling: Concepts, issues and applications (pp. 76–99). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
11.
JakovcevicA.StegL. (2013). Sustainable transportation in Argentina: Values, beliefs, norms and car use reduction. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 20, 70–79. doi:10.1016/j.trf.2013.05.005
12.
JanssonJ.MarellA.NordlundA. (2011). Exploring consumer adoption of a high involvement eco-innovation using value-belief-norm theory. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 10, 51–60. doi:10.1002/cb.v10.1
13.
KlineR. B. (2005). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
14.
KlineR. B. (2011). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (3rd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
15.
NordlundA. M.GarvillJ. (2003). Effects of values, problem awareness, and personal norm on willingness to reduce personal car use. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 23, 339–347. doi:10.1016/S0272-4944(03)00037-9
16.
PoortingaW.SpenceA.DemskiC.PidgeonN. F. (2012). Individual-motivational factors in the acceptability of demand-side and supply-side measures to reduce carbon emissions. Energy Policy, 48, 812–819. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2012.06.029
17.
PoortingaW.StegL.VlekC. (2004). Values, environmental concern, and environmental behavior: A study into household energy use. Environment & Behavior, 36, 70–93. doi:10.1177/0013916503251466
18.
RecaldeM. (2011). Energy policy and energy market performance: The Argentinean case. Energy Policy, 39, 3860–3868. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2011.04.022
19.
RecaldeM.GuzowskiC. (2012). Boundaries in promoting energy efficiency: Lessons from the Argentinean case. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 37, 14725–14729. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2011.12.091
20.
ScherbaumC. A.PopovichP. M.FinlinsonS. (2008). Exploring individual-level factors related to employee energy-conservation behaviours at work. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 38, 818–835. doi:10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00328.x
21.
SchwartzS. H. (1977). Normative influences on altruism. In BerkowitzL. (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (pp. 221–279). New York, NY: Academic Press.
22.
SchwartzS. H. (1992). Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries. In ZannaM. (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 25, pp. 1–65). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
StegL.BolderdijkJ. W.KeizerK.PerlaviciuteG. (2014). An integrated framework for encouraging pro-environmental behaviour: The role of values, situational factors and goals. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 38, 104–115. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2014.01.002
26.
StegL.De GrootJ. (2010). Explaining prosocial intentions: Testing causal relationships in the norm activation model. British Journal of Social Psychology, 49, 725–743. doi:10.1348/014466609X477745
27.
StegL.De GrootJ. I. M.DreijerinkL.AbrahamseW.SieroF. (2011). General antecedents of personal norms, policy acceptability, and intentions: The role of values, worldviews, and environmental concern. Society and Natural Resources, 24, 349–367. doi:10.1080/08941920903214116
28.
StegL.DreijerinkL.AbrahamseW. (2005). Factors influencing the acceptability of energy policies: A test of VBN model. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 25, 415–425. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2005.08.003
29.
StegL.PerlaviciuteG.Van Der WerffE.LurvinkJ. (2014). The significance of hedonic values for environmentally relevant attitudes, preferences, and actions. Environment and Behavior, 46, 163–192. doi:10.1177/0013916512454730
30.
SternP.DietzT.AbelT.GuagnanoG.KalofL. (1999). A value-belief-norm model of support for social movements: The case of environmentalism. Human Ecology Review, 6, 81–97.
31.
SternP.DietzT.KalofL. (1993). Value orientations, gender, and environmental concern. Environment and Behavior, 25, 322–348. doi:10.1177/0013916593255002
32.
SternP. C. (2000). New environmental theories: toward a coherent theory of environmentally significant behavior. Journal of Social Issues, 56, 407–424. doi:10.1111/0022-4537.00175
33.
Van Der WerffE.StegL. (2015). One model to predict them all: Predicting energy behaviours with the norm activation model. Energy Research & Social Science, 6, 8–14. doi:10.1016/j.erss.2014.11.002
34.
YanS.LifangF. (2011). Influence of psychological, family and contextual factors on residential energy use behaviour: An empirical study of China. Energy Procedia, 5, 910–915. doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2011.03.161
35.
ZhanY.WangZ.ZhouG. (2013). Determinants and implications of employee electricity saving habit: An empirical study in China. Applied Energy, 112, 1529–1535. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2013.04.006
