106
‘environmental or ecological citizenship’ (Dobson 2007: 297). According to the
referred paper, Environmental Citizenship and EA both have a long-term effect on
pro-environmental behaviour. There are many partly contradicting research results
on different ways to influence environmental attitudes.
Information campaigns often used by environmental NGOs could be used to
strengthen positive attitudes of those in favour of environmental protection.
However, from former research, we know that information campaigns would be
inappropriate for influencing the attitudes of people opposed to nature protection/
environmental actions, etc. (Petty and Cacioppo 1986). The attitudes of those having a negative attitude could be best changed to be more accepting by using role
models (well-known politicians, actors) who communicate their dedication to environmental protection.
Other research found that individual differences in values moderated the persuasive power of the different appeals and that appeals that matched the recipients’
values were more persuasive than the combined appeal (Van den Broek et al. 2017).
These findings also suggest that environmental campaigns aimed to induce behavioural change could benefit from tailoring persuasive messages rather than employing a one-size-fits-all message.
The research of Steg et al. (2014) showed that hedonic, egoistic, altruistic and
biospheric values can be distinguished empirically and that hedonic values appeared
to be significantly and negatively related to a range of environmentally relevant
attitudes, preferences and behaviours. This suggests that it is indeed important to
include hedonic values in environmental studies and that interventions aimed to
promote pro-environmental actions should consider hedonic consequences of
actions, as these may be important barriers for behaviour change.
In Klöckner’s (2013) comprehensive model of determinants of individual environmentally relevant behaviour, the intentions to act, the perceived behavioural control and habits were identified as direct predictors of behaviour. Intentions are
predicted by attitudes, personal and social norms and perceived behavioural control.
Based on the model, interventions to change behaviour need to not only include
attitude campaigns but also focus on de-habitualising behaviour, strengthening the
social support and increasing self-efficacy by concrete information on how to act.
Value-based interventions have only an indirect effect.
In a qualitative study, Fischer et al. (2012) analysed how attitudes, climate change
perception and energy use are interrelated and found that people tend to hope that
technological change will solve environmental problems, so there is no need for a
change in the own energy-related behaviour. However, Manfredo et al. (2017) argue
that values are not only motivational goals people hold but are also ideas that are
deeply embedded in society’s material culture, collective behaviours, traditions and
institutions that define groups, organisations and societies and are typically stable
across generations. The authors argue that value shifts for conservation are unlikely
to be effective and propose that innovative conservation strategies for working
within existing value structures would be more valuable.
N. Bauer et al.
‘environmental or ecological citizenship’ (Dobson 2007: 297). According to the
referred paper, Environmental Citizenship and EA both have a long-term effect on
pro-environmental behaviour. There are many partly contradicting research results
on different ways to influence environmental attitudes.
Information campaigns often used by environmental NGOs could be used to
strengthen positive attitudes of those in favour of environmental protection.
However, from former research, we know that information campaigns would be
inappropriate for influencing the attitudes of people opposed to nature protection/
environmental actions, etc. (Petty and Cacioppo 1986). The attitudes of those having a negative attitude could be best changed to be more accepting by using role
models (well-known politicians, actors) who communicate their dedication to environmental protection.
Other research found that individual differences in values moderated the persuasive power of the different appeals and that appeals that matched the recipients’
values were more persuasive than the combined appeal (Van den Broek et al. 2017).
These findings also suggest that environmental campaigns aimed to induce behavioural change could benefit from tailoring persuasive messages rather than employing a one-size-fits-all message.
The research of Steg et al. (2014) showed that hedonic, egoistic, altruistic and
biospheric values can be distinguished empirically and that hedonic values appeared
to be significantly and negatively related to a range of environmentally relevant
attitudes, preferences and behaviours. This suggests that it is indeed important to
include hedonic values in environmental studies and that interventions aimed to
promote pro-environmental actions should consider hedonic consequences of
actions, as these may be important barriers for behaviour change.
In Klöckner’s (2013) comprehensive model of determinants of individual environmentally relevant behaviour, the intentions to act, the perceived behavioural control and habits were identified as direct predictors of behaviour. Intentions are
predicted by attitudes, personal and social norms and perceived behavioural control.
Based on the model, interventions to change behaviour need to not only include
attitude campaigns but also focus on de-habitualising behaviour, strengthening the
social support and increasing self-efficacy by concrete information on how to act.
Value-based interventions have only an indirect effect.
In a qualitative study, Fischer et al. (2012) analysed how attitudes, climate change
perception and energy use are interrelated and found that people tend to hope that
technological change will solve environmental problems, so there is no need for a
change in the own energy-related behaviour. However, Manfredo et al. (2017) argue
that values are not only motivational goals people hold but are also ideas that are
deeply embedded in society’s material culture, collective behaviours, traditions and
institutions that define groups, organisations and societies and are typically stable
across generations. The authors argue that value shifts for conservation are unlikely
to be effective and propose that innovative conservation strategies for working
within existing value structures would be more valuable.
N. Bauer et al.