Today’s youth is facing environmental changes. The environmental behavior of adolescents is critical to mitigating the negative impacts of these environmental problems.
OBJECTIVE
According to value – basis theory and Value-Belief-Norm theory, the current research examines the link between biospheric values and pro-environmental behavior, together with the mediating and moderating effects of environmental self-identity and environmental concern.
METHODS
We conducted cluster sampling of students in grades four to nine. A total of 1,053 students participated in the survey, and 763 valid data records were finally obtained (the return rate was 72.46%).
RESULTS
The findings indicated that: (1) there was a significant positive correlation between adolescents’ biospheric values and pro-environmental behavior; (2) there was a significant positive correlation between adolescent biospheric values and environmental self-identity; there was a significant correlation between adolescents’ environmental self-identity and pro-environmental behavior. The relationship between biospheric values and adolescents’ pro-environmental behavior is mediated by environmental self-identity; (3) adolescents’ environmental concern moderates their biospheric values and affects the latter half of pro-environmental behavior through environmental self-identity. Environmental self-identity has a greater predictive impact on pro-environmental behavior when there is a higher level of environmental concern.
CONCLUSIONS
This paper proposes and verifies the positive relationship between biospheric values and adolescents’ pro-environmental behavior, as well as the mediating role of environmental self-identity and the moderating role of adolescents’ environmental concern.
ShaoSTianZFanM. Do the rich have stronger willingness to pay for environmental protection? New evidence from a survey in China. World Dev. 2018;105:83‐94.
2.
DavignonLMPoulinFDenaultAS. Organized activities in adolescence and pro-environmental behaviors in adulthood: The mediating role of pro-environmental attitudes. J Adolescence. 2023;95(2):284‐95.
3.
ZhuYWangYLiuZ. How does social interaction affect pro-environmental behaviors in China? The mediation role of conformity. Front Env Sci-Switz. 2021;9:690361.
4.
Website of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. 2022 China Ecological and Environmental Status Bulletin [Internet]. The central people’s government of the People’s Republic of China. 2023. Available from: https://www.gov.cn/lianbo/bumen/202305/content_6883708.htm
5.
ChenMFLeeCL. The impacts of green claims on coffee consumers’ purchase intention. Brit Food J. 2015;117(1):195‐209.
6.
WangZZhangBLiuT. Empirical analysis on the factors influencing national and regional carbon intensity in China. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2016;55:34‐42.
7.
StegLVlekC. Encouraging pro-environmental behaviour: An integrative review and research agenda. Renew Sust Energ Rev. 2009;29(3):309‐17.
8.
KalamasMClevelandMLarocheM. Pro-environmental behaviors for thee but not for me: Green giants, green Gods, and external environmental locus of control. J Bus Res. 2014;67(2):12‐22.
9.
SchröderTWolfI. Modeling multi-level mechanisms of environmental attitudes and behaviours: The example of carsharing in Berlin. J Environ Psychol. 2017;52:136‐48.
10.
Jans L. Changing environmental behaviour from the bottom up: The formation of pro-environmental social identities. J Environ Psychol. 2021;73:101531.
11.
BalundéAPerlaviciuteGTruskauskaitė-KunevičienėI. Sustainability in youth: Environmental considerations in adolescence and their relationship to pro-environmental behavior. Front Psychol. 2020;11:582920.
12.
RuepertAMKeizerKStegL. The relationship between corporate environmental responsibility, employees’ biospheric values and pro-environmental behaviour at work. J Environ Psychol. 2017;54:65‐78.
13.
StegLPerlaviciuteGVan der WerffE, et al.The significance of hedonic values for environmentally relevant attitudes, preferences, and actions. Environ Behav. 2014;46(2):163‐92.
14.
StegL. Values, norms, and intrinsic motivation to act proenvironmentally. Annu Rev Env Resour. 2016;41:277‐92.
15.
NordlundAMGarvillJ. Value structures behind proenvironmental behavior. Environ Behav. 2002;34(6):740‐56.
16.
Van der WerffEStegLKeizerK. It is a moral issue: The relationship between environmental self-identity, obligation-based intrinsic motivation and pro-environmental behaviour. Global Environ Chang. 2013;23(5):1258‐65.
17.
Van der WerffEStegLKeizerK. I am what I am, by looking past the present: The influence of biospheric values and past behavior on environmental self-identity[J]. Environ Behav. 2014;46(5):626‐57.
18.
Van der WerffEStegL. The psychology of participation and interest in smart energy systems: Comparing the value-belief-norm theory and the value-identity-personal norm model. Energy Res Soc Sci. 2016;22:107‐14.
19.
BalundėAPerlaviciuteGStegL. The relationship between people’s environmental considerations and pro-environmental behavior in Lithuania. Front Psychol. 2019;10:469105.
20.
SternPC. New environmental theories: toward a coherent theory of environmentally significant behavior. J Soc Issues. 2000;56(3):407‐24.
21.
AjiboyeTOKomolafeYOOloyedeOB, et al.Polyphenolic extract of Sorghum bicolor grains enhances reactive oxygen species detoxification in N-nitrosodiethylamine-treated rats. Food Sci Hum Well. 2013;2:39‐45.
22.
AteşH. Merging theory of planned behavior and value identity personal norm model to explain pro-environmental behaviors. Sustain Prod Consum. 2020;24:169‐80.
23.
SternPCDietzT. The value basis of environmental concern. J Soc Issues. 1994;50(3):65‐84.
24.
KollmussAAgyemanJ. Mind the gap: why do people act environmentally and what are the barriers to pro-environmental behavior?Environ Educ Res. 2002;8(3):239‐60.
25.
WangXVan der WerffEBoumanT, et al.I am vs. we are: how biospheric values and environmental identity of individuals and groups can influence pro-environmental behaviour. Front Psychol. 2021;12:618956.
26.
BryantCKHungerfordHR. An analysis of strategies for teaching environmental concepts and values clarification in kindergarten. Environ Educ Res. 1977;9(1):44‐9.
27.
KalsESchumacherDMontadaL. Emotional affinity toward nature as a motivational basis to protect nature. Environ Behav. 1999;31(2):178‐202.
28.
NisbetEKZelenskiJMMurphySA. The nature relatedness scale: Linking individuals’ connection with nature to environmental concern and behavior. Environ Behav. 2009;41(5):715‐40.
29.
SunJMaBWeiS. Same gratitude, different pro-environmental behaviors? Effect of the dual-path influence mechanism of gratitude on pro-environmental behavior. J Clean Prod. 2023;415:137779.
30.
SchwartzSH. Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. Academic Press. 1992;25:1‐65.
31.
FeatherNT. Values, valences, and choice: The influences of values on the perceived attractiveness and choice of alternatives. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1995;68(6):1135.
32.
De GrootJIMStegL. Relationships between value orientations, self-determined motivational types and pro-environmental behavioural intentions. J Environ Psychol. 2010;30(4):368‐78.
33.
PerlaviciuteGStegL. The influence of values on evaluations of energy alternatives. Renew Energ. 2015;77:259‐67.
34.
De GrootJIMStegL. Values, beliefs and environmental behavior: validation of an instrument to measure egoistic, altruistic and biospheric value orientations in five countries. J Cross Cult Psychol. 2007;38(3):318‐32.
35.
Van der WerffEStegLKeizerK. I am what I am, by looking past the present: The influence of biospheric values and past behavior on environmental self-identity. Environ Behav. 2014;46(5):626‐657.
36.
LacasseK. Don’t be satisfied, identify! Strengthening positive spillover by connecting pro-environmental behaviors to an “environmentalist” label. J Environ Psychol. 2016;48:149‐58.
37.
ClaytonSKilinçA. Proenvironmental concern and behavior in Turkey: The role of national and environmental identity. Psyecology. 2013;4(3):311‐30.
38.
VeijalainenAClaytonS. Free Public Species Naming to Promote Pro-environmental Behavior? Ecopsychology (2013;5(1):56‐9.
39.
DunlapREVan LiereKDMertigAG, et al.New trends in measuring environmental attitudes: measuring endorsement of the new ecological paradigm: a revised NEP scale. J Soc Issues. 2000;56(3):425‐42.
40.
KaiserFGDokaGHofstetterP, et al.Ecological behavior and its environmental consequences: A life cycle assessment of a self-report measure. J Environ Psychol. 2003;23(1):11‐20.
41.
PodsakoffPMMacKenzieSBLeeJY, et al.Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. J Appl Psychol. 2003;88(5):879.
42.
De GrootJIMStegL. Mean or green: which values can promote stable pro-environmental behavior?Conserv Lett. 2009;2(2):61‐6.
43.
SchultzPWZeleznyL. Values as predictors of environmental attitudes: Evidence for consistency across 14 countries. J Environ Psychol. 1999;19(3):255‐65.
44.
Marquart-PyattST. Contextual influences on environmental concerns cross-nationally: A multilevel investigation. Soc Sci Res. 2012;41(5):1085‐99.
45.
MartinCCzellarS. Where do biospheric values come from? A connectedness to nature perspective. J Environ Psychol. 2017;52:56‐68.
46.
DiamantopoulosASchlegelmilchBBSinkovicsRR, et al.Can socio-demographics still play a role in profiling green consumers? A review of the evidence and an empirical investigation. J Bus Res. 2003;56(6):465‐80.
47.
BambergSMöserG. Twenty years after Hines, Hungerford, and Tomera: A new meta-analysis of psycho-social determinants of pro-environmental behaviour. J Environ Psychol. 2007;27(1):14‐25.
48.
BradleyJCWaliczekTMZajicekJM. Relationship between environmental knowledge and environmental attitude of high school students. J Environ Educ. 1999;30(3):17‐21.
49.
CromptonTKasserT. Meeting environmental challenges: The role of human identity. Godalming, UK: WWF-UK, 2009.
