107
Social influence has a medium impact on environmental behaviour according to
Abrahamse and Steg (2013), who conducted a meta-analysis of several researches:
the heterogeneity of the results was the effect of three groups of factors. The first
type of factors was the character of social influence: block leader effect, public commitment, group feedback, comparative feedback and the use of social norms. In the
second type of research, the target group changed: whether they were students,
employees, households, farmers or guests of a hotel. In the third type, the analysed
behaviour varied (the effect of environment of the analysed behaviour). According
to them, this latter case had no significant effect of social influence on the environmental behaviour.
There is not much research on how Environmental Citizenship can be promoted;
most of the papers argue that formal and non-formal education may have such a role
(Dobson 2007: 283; Blaskó et al. 2018). Further research shall explore how
Environmental Citizenship can be made more widespread among adults.
7.9 Concluding Remarks
In this chapter, we reviewed the most important literature on environmental attitude
and analysed the relationship between environmental behaviour, environmental values and environmental attitudes. We also discussed how environmental attitudes can
be changed and how they affect environmental behaviour. We found that while in
general there is often a weak relationship between attitudes and behaviour, in the
case of environmental attitudes and behaviour, there is a significant relationship
according to the reviewed papers. Analysing the factors influencing the change of
environmental attitudes and behaviour, the literature argued that experiences from
childhood and early life periods and social influence and voluntary actions have a
strong effect. Earlier researches also argued that the perception of environmental
problems or climate change does not necessarily affect pro-environmental behaviour in a positive manner. Most of the reviewed research on factors influencing
environmental attitudes and behaviour does not measure the long-term effects, especially, whether attitudes, values and behaviours changed on the longer term. Thus,
future research shall focus also on the long-term effects of the different factors and
also on the interrelatedness of the different influencing factors.
Acknowledgements This chapter is based on work from COST Action ENEC – European
Network for Environmental Citizenship (CA16229) supported by COST (European Cooperation
in Science and Technology).
7 Attitudes and Environmental Citizenship
Social influence has a medium impact on environmental behaviour according to
Abrahamse and Steg (2013), who conducted a meta-analysis of several researches:
the heterogeneity of the results was the effect of three groups of factors. The first
type of factors was the character of social influence: block leader effect, public commitment, group feedback, comparative feedback and the use of social norms. In the
second type of research, the target group changed: whether they were students,
employees, households, farmers or guests of a hotel. In the third type, the analysed
behaviour varied (the effect of environment of the analysed behaviour). According
to them, this latter case had no significant effect of social influence on the environmental behaviour.
There is not much research on how Environmental Citizenship can be promoted;
most of the papers argue that formal and non-formal education may have such a role
(Dobson 2007: 283; Blaskó et al. 2018). Further research shall explore how
Environmental Citizenship can be made more widespread among adults.
7.9 Concluding Remarks
In this chapter, we reviewed the most important literature on environmental attitude
and analysed the relationship between environmental behaviour, environmental values and environmental attitudes. We also discussed how environmental attitudes can
be changed and how they affect environmental behaviour. We found that while in
general there is often a weak relationship between attitudes and behaviour, in the
case of environmental attitudes and behaviour, there is a significant relationship
according to the reviewed papers. Analysing the factors influencing the change of
environmental attitudes and behaviour, the literature argued that experiences from
childhood and early life periods and social influence and voluntary actions have a
strong effect. Earlier researches also argued that the perception of environmental
problems or climate change does not necessarily affect pro-environmental behaviour in a positive manner. Most of the reviewed research on factors influencing
environmental attitudes and behaviour does not measure the long-term effects, especially, whether attitudes, values and behaviours changed on the longer term. Thus,
future research shall focus also on the long-term effects of the different factors and
also on the interrelatedness of the different influencing factors.
Acknowledgements This chapter is based on work from COST Action ENEC – European
Network for Environmental Citizenship (CA16229) supported by COST (European Cooperation
in Science and Technology).
7 Attitudes and Environmental Citizenship