THE VERDICT ON THIS ASSUMPTION: Mixed Bag
Research suggests that while environmental values do play an important role in people’s behavior, how this translates into behavior is more complex. This is mainly due to inconsistency between people’s values and their behaviors with regard to the environment 1 . It is true that people who hold altruistic values tend to also place a high priority on the environment. However, this does not automatically mean that people will act in accordance with their values or beliefs 2 . This assumption is really about how well our values, particularly about the environment, line up with our practices.
Frames Associated with This Assumption:
Factors that can influence people’s likelihood to act in alignment with their values include:
-
Feeling personal obligations to act, and self-expectations concerning action 1
-
A belief that things associated with their values are under threat 2
-
A belief that the actions initiated by the individual can help alleviate the threat and restore the values (in other words, efficacy; see Assumption 14) 3 .
When these things are in place, findings show that pro-environmental sentiments increase the likelihood that people will act on their concerns in multiple ways, including environmental citizenship, policy support, and private-sphere behaviors 4 . Interestingly, these factors were not found to affect the likelihood that people would participate in demonstrations – although a strong sense of altruism and openness to change do 5 . Related research suggests that higher levels of environmental awareness might not necessarily correspond to changes in lifestyle, particularly when it comes to sacrifices 6 .
There is no question that many factors affect how strongly environmental values influence behavior. These include 1) high levels of issue awareness; 2) accurate knowledge about the causes of climate change (see Assumption 1); 3) high levels of commitment; and 4) direct experiences and emotions about the issue in question 7 . In addition, social influences – groups, affiliations and communities – all play a key role in determining engagement.
Even for those concerned about the environment, issues surrounding a particular environmental policy or strategy can create conflicts, leading to indecisiveness among would-be actors. This is especially true when trying to use general environmental attitudes to explain the likely support for particular environmental policies. For example, although people may hold general pro-environmental values, the effect of those values on their willingness to vote for a particular campaign issue or provide financial support for a particular candidate may be diluted. Such conflicts can include concerns about the particular campaign strategy, proposed solutions or the candidate’s position on other issues 8 . In other words, someone with strong environmental values may support addressing climate change but be opposed to a carbon tax.
- 1Stern et al. 1999
- 2Stern et al. 1999; O’Conner, Robert E; Bord, Richard J.; and Ann Fisher. 1999. “Risk Perceptions, General Environmental Beliefs, and Willingness to Address Climate Change.” Risk Analysis 19(3).
- 3Stern et al. 1999; Jonsson and Nilsson 2014
- 4Stern et al. 1999; Lubell et al. 2007
- 5Stern et al. 1999
- 6Diekmann and Preisendoefer 1992
- 7O’Conner et al, 1999, op cit; Kollmus and Agyeman 2002; Leiserowitz 2006
- 8Heberlein 2012
- General concern about the natural environment may not translate directly to support for particular environmental policies.
- A sense of threat to environmental (and other) values and an appreciation of the risks of climate change are important for generating support for climate policy.
- A person’s social network is likely to be a key factor in helping the person determine whether and how to respond.
- Climate advocates need to understand the range of values brought to bear by a population when considering support of particular climate policies, rather than focusing exclusively on environmental values.
