Presentation Title
Predicting Pro-environmental Behaviors with Climate Change Identity, Belief and Concern using Probabilistic SEM
Abstract
In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that the world only has until 2030 to prevent global temperatures from rising an additional .5 degrees Celsius from greenhouse gas emissions to thwart the catastrophic damage that could follow such warming. In order to reduce the concentration of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere and alleviate human pressure on the natural environment, collective action must occur across the globe by consumers and producers. However, not everyone feels concerned about climate change, identifies as an environmentalist, or believes they can make an impact and that it is their responsibility to do so. Environmental attitudes, beliefs, and concerns about climate change influence the actions people do and do not perform on a daily basis. Those who recognize their contribution to climate change may implement pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) in their lives that reduce their negative impact on the planet through environmentally sustainable actions and activism. Many studies have looked at PEBs in relation to environmental attitudes, beliefs, or climate change concerns, but few have attempted to predict behaviors based on some or all of these factors. No studies to date have used a probabilistic structural equation modeling (PSEM) approach to perform these predictions. This study combines attitude and behavior theory in conjunction with advanced PSEM methods to perform unique analyses to discover causal relationships between key factors in environmental behavior theory.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. Trisha Shrum
Faculty/Staff Collaborators
Dr. Trisha Shrum (Graduate Research Advisor)
Status
Graduate
Student College
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Program/Major
Community Development and Applied Economics
Primary Research Category
Social Sciences
Predicting Pro-environmental Behaviors with Climate Change Identity, Belief and Concern using Probabilistic SEM
In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that the world only has until 2030 to prevent global temperatures from rising an additional .5 degrees Celsius from greenhouse gas emissions to thwart the catastrophic damage that could follow such warming. In order to reduce the concentration of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere and alleviate human pressure on the natural environment, collective action must occur across the globe by consumers and producers. However, not everyone feels concerned about climate change, identifies as an environmentalist, or believes they can make an impact and that it is their responsibility to do so. Environmental attitudes, beliefs, and concerns about climate change influence the actions people do and do not perform on a daily basis. Those who recognize their contribution to climate change may implement pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) in their lives that reduce their negative impact on the planet through environmentally sustainable actions and activism. Many studies have looked at PEBs in relation to environmental attitudes, beliefs, or climate change concerns, but few have attempted to predict behaviors based on some or all of these factors. No studies to date have used a probabilistic structural equation modeling (PSEM) approach to perform these predictions. This study combines attitude and behavior theory in conjunction with advanced PSEM methods to perform unique analyses to discover causal relationships between key factors in environmental behavior theory.