ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIOR

On the basis of an empirical study in Switzerland and Germany, it is shown that there are considerable inconsistences between citizens' environmental attitudes and their behavior. A disaggregation of the multidimensional concept of `environmental behavior' and a look at this behavior from the viewpoint of rational actors, are proposed as two perspectives from which to get a better understanding of these inconsistencies. Empirical analyses (making use of these two perspectives) lead to an identification of three cognitive strategies by which individual actors try to harmonize and to reconcile seemingly incongruent environmental attitudes and behaviors. These strategies can be subsumed under the short-hand labels `attention-shifting strategy', `low-cost strategy' and `subjective-rationality strategy'.

[1]  Andreas Diekmann,et al.  Persónliches umweltverhalten: Diskrepanzen zwischen Anspruch und Wirklichkeit. , 1992 .

[2]  P. Stern,et al.  Influences on Attitude-Behavior Relationships , 1995 .

[3]  J. M. Hines,et al.  Analysis and synthesis of research on responsible environmental behavior: A meta-analysis. , 1987 .

[4]  Joachim Schahn,et al.  Studies of Individual Environmental Concern , 1990 .

[5]  M. P. Maloney,et al.  A revised scale for the measurement of ecological attitudes and knowledge. , 1975 .

[6]  R. Rohrschneider.  Citizens' Attitudes Toward Environmental Issues , 1988 .

[7]  Bruno S. Frey,et al.  Tertium Datur: Pricing, Regulating and Intrinsic Motivation , 1992 .

[8]  D. Urban.  Was ist Umweltbewußtsein? , 1986 .

[9]  R. Dunlap,et al.  The Social Bases of Environmental Concern: A Review of Hypotheses, Explanations and Empirical Evidence , 1980 .

[10]  M. P. Maloney,et al.  Ecology: Let's hear from the people: An objective scale for the measurement of ecological attitudes and knowledge. , 1973 .

[11]  R. Dunlap,et al.  Environmental Concern , 1981 .

[12]  R. Zintl.  Der Homo Oeconomicus: Ausnahmeerscheinung in jeder Situation oder Jedermann in Ausnahmesituationen? , 1989 .

[13]  Liisa Uusitalo,et al.  Are Enviornment Attitude and Behaviour Inconsistent? Finding from a Finnish Study , 1990 .

[14]  Tom R. Tyler,et al.  Defensive Denial and High Cost Prosocial Behavior , 1982 .

[15]  L. Derksen,et al.  The social context of recycling. , 1993 .