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Interactions among Locus of Control, Environmental Attitudes and Pro-Environmental Behaviour in China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2019

Madeline M Giefer ,
M Nils Peterson  and
Xiaodong Chen
Madeline M Giefer*
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
M Nils Peterson
Affiliation:
Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
Xiaodong Chen
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
*
Author for correspondence: Madeline M. Giefer, Email: mmgiefer@live.unc.edu
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Summary

Promoting environmentally conscious behaviour requires an understanding of the complex cognitive mechanisms by which people decide to act environmentally. Research suggests that locus of control (LOC), or the extent to which a person feels his or her own actions can produce broader change, is an important predictor of environmental behaviour; however, little is known about how LOC interacts with other cognitive motivators. This study uses a nationwide survey from China to test whether LOC moderates the effect of environmental attitudes on behaviour. Respondents with external LOC (i.e., those who believe personal actions cannot produce change) reported lower pro-environmental behaviour than those with internal LOC (i.e., those who believe personal actions can produce change). In addition, the influence of environmental attitudes on pro-environmental behaviour was stronger among respondents with external LOC than those with internal LOC. These results support efforts to promote conservation in China by promoting internal LOC and add a novel suggestion that attitude-based messaging is more efficacious among audiences with external LOC.

Keywords

environmental messaginghousehold consumptionnatural resourcesnew environmental paradigm
Type
Research Paper
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 46 , Issue 3: Thematic Section: Bringing Species and Ecosystems Together with Remote Sensing Tools to Develop New Biodiversity Metrics and Indicators , September 2019 , pp. 234 - 240
Copyright
© Foundation for Environmental Conservation 2019 

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