Pro-environmental values Flashcards
Climate Change
- Informed by over 50 years of empirical evidence
- Have concluded climate change influenced by human activity
- Poses considerable threat to life on Earth (Hodson,2017)
- Majority of scientists express urgency in limiting climate change to secure quality of life on Earth (Maibach, Myers, & Leiserowitz, 2014; Ripple et al., 2017)
A role for Psychology in Climate Change?
- Risk perception (E.g., Chan, 2018)
- Psychological distance (E.g., Loy & Spence, 2020)
- Models of behaviour change (E.g., Mancha & Yoder,2015)
- Personality (E.g., Milfont & Sibley, 2012);– Values
Dark Personality
- Paulhus & Williams, 2002)
- Machiavellianism
- Narcissism
- Psychopathy
Light Personality
- Kaufman et al., 2019)
- Kantianism* Humanism
- Faith in humanity
Dark and Light Personality
- Dark triad personality traits negatively correlate with pro-environmental behavior (e.g., Huang etal., 2019)
- Light personality traits positively correlate with pro-environmental behaviour (Kesenheimer &Greimeyer
What are Values?
Desirable transactional goals that vary in importance, serve as guiding principles of our behaviour and that of others(Schwartz, 1992)
3 key factors of Values?
- Beliefs about desirability or un-desirability of certain end-states
- Are abstract constructs, which transcend specific situations
- Serve as guiding principles for the evaluation of people and events
Values are ideal for understanding environmental behaviour
- Economically efficient instrument for distinguishing and explaining individual differences in people
- Considered abstract, influencing attitudes and behaviour, can be utilised to predic tbehaviours in different contexts (Seligman & Katz, 1996)
- Provide a stable and relatively enduring basis for attitudes and behaviours (Stern,Dietz, Kalfo & Guagano, 1995)
-The relationship between pro-environmental attitudes and environmental behaviours is well-documented (Olander, 2006)
-Form the basis for value theories of environmental behaviour
Social value orientations(SVO)
- Origins of theory lie in social dilemma research–
-Extent to which people are concerned about their own and others’ payoff in situations of dilemma (Messick& McClintock, 1968)
Cooperative SVO
Individuals are motivated by a desire to maximise outcomes
Individual SVO
Motivated by a desire to maximise own positive outcome,holding no concern for the outcome of others
Competitive SVO
Seek to maximise own positive outcomes in relation tothose of others
Decomposed game technique (Liebrand, 1984)
- Different SVOs been determined through the use of the ‘decomposed game technique
-These require participants to choose between options that offer points to them and other individual
SVO supporting evidence
- Evidence found revealing a relationship between SVO theory and environmental beliefs, norms, and behavior
- Pro-social values are positively related to pro-environmental behavior
- Pro-self values are negatively related to pro-environmental behaviour(Joireman, Lasane, Bennett, Richards & Solaimaini, 2001)
- No significant relationship to (Joireman, van Lange & van Vogt, 2004)
Schwartz’ Value Theory (1992,1994)
- Proposes a ‘taxonomy’ of 56 values
- Each of these covered in a psychometric measure
- Respondents required to value each item on a 9-point scale of their importance as a ‘guiding principle in their life’
-Through data collected on this from 44 countries, identified 10 motivational types
Schwartz’ Value Theory (1992,1994)- Motivation types
Stimulation: Seeks novelty, excitement, and challenges
Self-direction: Values independence of thought and action
Power: Values social status and prestige, commonlyholding a desire to control people and /or resources
Achievement: Values personal success and achievement,seeks to demonstrate competence
Hedonism: Primary goal of enjoying life
Universalism: Values appreciation and respect of others, seeking to protect the larger society and environment over their own self-interests
Benevolence: Seeks to maximize the wellbeing of those individuals close to them
Tradition: Values the customs of society, respects tradition
Conformity: Seeks to avoid actions that are likely to upset social norms or the ‘status quo’
Security: Prioritises safety and the stability of society, relationships, andoneself.
Schwartz’ Value Theory- Motivativational type: Power
Definition: social status and prestige, control over other people and resources
Common values: wealth, authority
Schwartz’ Value Theory- Motivativational type: Universalism
Definition: Understanding, appreciation, tolerance and protection fort he welfare of all people and for nature
Common values: social cohesiveness, broadminded, protectenvironmen
Schwartz’ Value Theory- Circmplex
- The closer the types are in the circumplex,the more compatible they are
- Schwartz states: values alone have little meaning, but rather, reflect the relative priority of values concerning others
- This is seen to provide a clearer value structure
Schwartz’ Value Theory: First dimension
- Openness to change v conservativism
- Openness to new things, ideas, experiences & adherence to ‘ritualistic’ patterns of behavior
Schwartz’ Value Theory: Second dimension
Distinguishes values that stress the importance of others to those that emphasise self-interest
Schwartz’ Value Theory: Third dimension
- Self-transcendence v self enhancement
- Altruistic V egoistic
- Can be compared to pro-social v pro-self of SVO theory
Schwartz (2012)
Interaction of distinct values may manifest:
- Power & Achievement: social superiority and esteem
- Achievement & Hedonism: Self-centred satisfaction seeking
- Benevolence & universalism: enhancement of other sand transcendence from selfish interests
- Benevolence and tradition: devotion to one’s group
Schwartz’ Value Theory: Supporting evidence
The pro-self versus pro-social dimension is important in explaining environmental beliefs, norms and behaviors
(Eg: Stern, Diet & guagano, 1998; de Groot & Steg, 2008; Nordlund &Garville, 2002)
Personality and values 1
- Machiavalianism & narcissism – positive related to achievement and power
- Psychopathy related to hedonism and power(Jonason et al., 2020)
- Dark triad traits negatively related to benevolence(Kaufman et al., 2019)
- Light personality traits associated with: Self-transcendence (+) and Self-enhancement (-)
Personality and values 2
- Self-transcendence and openness to change both + predictors of pro-environmental behaviour
- Self-enhancement and conservativism both negative predictors of pro-environmental behavior (Karp, 1996)
-Nordlund & Garville (2002): ‘high self-transcendence more aware of threat to the environment, stronger moral obligation
How do values affect environmental behaviour?
- Valuing nature may influence behavior in different ways – same value may illicit different (perhaps opposite) behaviors
- Behaviour-specific attributes are stronger predictors of behaviour (Eagly & Chaiken, 1993)
- Research shown values do influence behavior, but indirectly (deGroot & Steg, 2007)
- Values therefore likely to be more influential in specific situations
- Possible to focus attention towards them to increase their influence
- An effective method: emphasise the values central to the self (thus eliciting self-focus and reflection (Verplanken & Hollan, 2002
- Promote value congruent actions by providing cognitive support for them – enables individual to provide explanations for their values, which increases their salience (Maio & Olson, 1998
