Article

Altruistic, egoistic and biospheric values in willingness to pay (WTP) for wildlife

September 2007
Ecological Economics 63(4):807-814

DOI:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2007.02.003

Source
RePEc

Authors:

Elena Ojea

University of Vigo

Maria L. Loureiro

University of Santiago de Compostela

We attempt to measure general attitudes and ethical beliefs towards preservation, as well as the importance of each of the three considered value orientations (biospheric, egoistic and altruistic) in WTP estimates. In the present study, we apply the GAC scale to a contingent valuation exercise for the recovery of the common murre (Uria aalge) in Galicia (Spain). Up to now, only a few studies in the field of environmental and ecological economics have analyzed value orientations under the Environmental Concern (EC) framework, obtaining mixed results. In the present work, we conclude that ethical aspects affect the individuals decision making process, and that value orientations play an important role in the pro-environmental attitude formation. These value orientations affect willingness to pay (WTP) estimates for environmental goods.

Willingness of the German population to donate toward bird conservation: An application of the protection motivation theory

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2022

In this study, the protection motivation theory (PMT) was used to investigate factors influencing self-reported willingness to donate and actual donations to conserve endangered bird species.The PMT was extended to include sociodemographic factors (gender, age, education, and income), as well as knowledge about and attitudes toward birds. Data were collected in Germany through an online questionnaire (N = 579, MAge = 49.15, SD = 16.93, women = 51.6 %). Regression analyses showed that the cognitive assessment processes of the PMT, (1) threat appraisal of endangered bird species, and (2) coping appraisal of threat toward endangered bird species were significant predictors of an individual’s willingness to donate. An individual’s attitudes toward birds strengthened willingness to donate, but not actual donations. In contrast, women were more likely to donate and higher perceived barriers were associated with lower rates of actual donations. A discrepancy between willingness to donate and actual donations is evident, which indicates an intention-behavior gap. The results suggest that conservation and education campaigns should be used to increase the population's awareness of existing threats toward endangered bird species, including the constructs of PMT, which could positively influence both willingness to donate and actual donations. Similarly, engagement initiatives could target individuals' self-efficacy to engage in bird conservation and possible coping measures should be made transparent and tangible by stakeholders looking to foster bird conservation.

Personal attitudes and beliefs and willingness to pay to reduce marine plastic pollution in Indonesia

Article

Dec 2021
MAR POLLUT BULL

Marine plastic pollution (MPP) is one of the most pressing issues especially for fast-growing economies in the Global South where addressing it involves both government and personal actions to achieve effective waste management policies. Alternative modelling strategies accounting for personal traits and beliefs (latent attitudes) which are unobservable characteristics are frequently overlooked in policy assessment studies. This study combines contingent valuation and latent traits questions to derive the willingness of Indonesian respondents to support MPP mitigation initiatives. One and two-step models are compared to test the sensitivity of results to modelling assumptions. Latent traits help to understand the willingness to pay (WTP) for MPP and one and two-step approaches produce comparable results. On average respondents are willing to pay £15, per person, per year to reduce MPP, or 2% of the average monthly salary. Local and international organizations should consider motivations and latent traits when designing MPP mitigation strategies.

A consumer values-based approach to enhancing green consumption

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2021

Pro-environmental consumer behaviours are increasingly desirable. However, many studies report that gaps exist between consumers’ attitudes toward green products and their purchasing behaviours. Understanding these gaps is important to foster market demand for green products. Two sets of distinct consumer value systems offer insights into green consumer behaviour. Consumers’ personal values (PVs), i.e. their altruistic, biospheric and egoistic values, as well as consumers’ consumption values (CVs), e.g. the functional, psychological, economic or social perceived benefits consumers perceive in relation to a green offering. This paper examines current understanding of the individual and combined roles of consumers’ PVs and CVs in green consumption through an integrative literature review. Three knowledge gaps are identified, including that extant theories and models do not sufficiently consider associations between CVs and PVs in a green consumption context. To address the gaps, a conceptual model is proposed with eight testable propositions.

Millennial Tourists’ Environmentally Sustainable Behavior Towards a Natural Protected Area: An Integrative Framework

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2020

In the last few years, natural protected areas have been facing great challenges and degradation around the world. Among this, environmental sustainability has become a priority to create harmony between tourists and nature. Tourists visiting protected areas are becoming progressively more concerned regarding the environment. Moreover, the United Nations (UN) “Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” have highlighted the potential role of young tourists to contribute to sustainable tourism. However, very few studies have focused on tourists’ environmentally sustainable behavior towards natural protected areas. To fill the existing gap in the literature, this study aims to provide a theoretical framework that includes environmental sustainability awareness (ESA) in measuring millennial tourists’ environmentally sustainable behavior (ESB). Thus, this study delivers an integrated approach based on the value-belief-norm (VBN) theory and the concept of the new ecological paradigm (NEP) towards protected areas. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted from one of the protected areas located in the north of Sichuan province of China, and 511 responses were obtained for statistical analysis. Results of the structural statistical analysis showed that the unified model includes a satisfactory level of predictive power for tourists’ ESB, which was superior to existing theories and concepts. The findings also revealed that all proposed relationships of the variables were significant and identified the positive influence of environmental sustainability awareness in generating the ESB. This study contributes towards sustainable tourism development and the conservation of protected areas, with several practical implications for local authorities in terms of millennial participation.

Altruism, price judgement by tourists and livelihoods of informal crafts traders

Article

Jun 2020
J Sustain Tourism

This paper aims to evaluate how prices are formed in the informal tourism market and how this has a bearing on the livelihoods of informal traders. More specifically, the objectives of this research were to: (i) determine the dependence and strategies of informal traders on sales and fair prices for their livelihood; (ii) assess price judgement of tourists in two currencies and (iii) determine whether altruism influences price judgement. A mixed-methods approach was followed, where interviews were held with informal craft traders and a questionnaire was electronically administered to 450 international tourists who visited South Africa. The results show that the informal craft traders are supporting extended family members in southern African countries. The informal tourism economy in South Africa therefore plays an integral part in providing a source of livelihood for many migrants. In addition, tourists have inaccurate price judgements, which is more pronounced for lower valued items, and leads to price distortions in the market. We also find that price judgement in the unfamiliar currency distorts the effect of pro-social behaviour on price judgement, with higher levels of altruism only being associated with price overvaluations in the respondent’s home currency.

Determinants of Social Community Value Creation: An Exploratory Empirical Study

Article

Dec 2019
J Inform Knowl Manag

Based on the Value–Belief–Norm Theory (VBNT), an exploratory study is conducted that proposes a research model to describe the social community value creation. The proposed model is examined via empirical survey. The mediation effect of community beliefs is also explored. The model considers extrinsic perceived value (EPV), intrinsic perceived value (IPV), and biospheric perceived value (BPV) as the main determinants of value creation behaviour for online communities. Results from the analysis of 335 valid community users are obtained. The intrinsic perceived value is significantly associated with the value creation attitude (VCA) towards intention, implying that community users, thus far, likely appreciate such intrinsic effect of community as participation and sentiment values. The beliefs partially mediate the effect of IPV on value creation behaviour. Active behaviour in public issues and private behaviour in the community are because of the perceived participation value, whereas non-active behaviour in public issues is due to the perceived network value in online community. Trust and norm alternate no effect of IPV on value creation attitude towards active and non-active behaviours in public issues and private behaviour in the community. This draws attention to the idea that beliefs probably have interplay effect on the value creation behaviour. This study serves as a theoretical and practical groundwork for researches on value development of virtual society with a focus on the effects of EPV, IPV, and BPV. Discussions and implications are also addressed.

Sustainable consumption and plastic packaging: Relationships among product involvement, perceived marketplace influence and choice behavior

Article

Jul 2022
J Retailing Consum Serv

This study examines the relationships among human value connotations (instrumental and terminal), product involvement, perceived marketplace influence, and choice behavior in the context of sustainable consumption. Data was collected from 612 urban Indian residents who regularly consume sustainable products, e.g., non-plastic packaging bags. The study operationalizes the partial least square structural equation modeling method in consort with the covariance-based structural equation modeling. The research demonstrates the direct impact of instrumental and terminal values on product involvement and the direct influence of product involvement on perceived marketplace influence towards plastic packaging-related choice behavior. It is pertinent to focus on both instrumental and terminal connotations of human values to augment product involvement for plastic packaging. Limited studies have examined the possible relationships between two distinct yet interconnected connotations of human values on product involvement and perceived marketplace influence in the context of sustainable consumption related to plastic packaging.

The value of eudaimonia for understanding relationships among values and pro-environmental behavior

Article

Feb 2022

The value of eudaimonia for understanding relationships among values and pro- environmental behavior

Preprint

Feb 2022
J ENVIRON PSYCHOL

Understanding the transactions that occur between humans and their environments requires research focused on phenomena that explain behavioral patterns, particularly values that serve as guiding principles in life. Mounting evidence has suggested that pro-environmental behavior is motivated by the long-term goal of living a meaningful life, as reflected by Aristotle's concept of eudaimonia. However, the relationships among value concepts, particularly eudaimonic values, remains unclear despite the fundamental role that these constructs play in explaining why people make behavioral decisions. We conceptualized eudaimonic values with guidance from Self-Determination Theory to understand how a suite of values affected pro-environmental behavior reported by recreational anglers (n = 1,103) across five US states (Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Indiana) in the Great Lakes region. Results from a latent variable path model showed that eudaimonic values were strong predictors of biospheric, altruistic, egoistic, and hedonic values, which in turn, influenced self-reported behavior among recreational anglers who were at risk of spreading aquatic invasive species. These findings suggest that eudaimonic values are an antecedent to values-behavior relationships and can improve the predictive capacity of models being developed to inform management strategies for minimizing human activities that are contributing to the unintentional spread of aquatic invasive species.

Investigation of Consumer's Willingness to Pay for Renewable Energy Sources Based Electricity -A Mixed Methods Study with Special Reference to Electricity Consumers in Maharashtra

Thesis

Full-text available

Feb 2021

Vasundhara Sen

This doctoral thesis investigated the Willingness To Pay for Renewable Energy amongst residential, Commercial and Industrial (C&I) consumers in the state of Maharashtra. The WTP for residential consumers was estimated using the stated preference method (contingent valuation) based on data collected from 472 residential respondents. Alongside, grounded theory was used to understand WTP for RE amongst C&I consumers, based on 14 in-depth interviews conducted with corporate RE users. Study recommended social, technological, economical and regulatory changes required to boost RE adoption amongst all segments.

The Green Gaming Project: The Role of Games in Promoting Environmental Literacy

Thesis

Jun 2021

Kristoffer Fjællingsdal

This thesis serves as a contribution towards the general understanding of how, when, and why environmental and sustainability-oriented games affect their players, and how they can be utilized as tools for increasing environmental literacy. It consists of three qualitative empirical research papers, where the overarching purpose has been to gain an understanding of how games can be used in strengthening the environmental literacy of their players. The results overall show that games can be effective tools for environmental education, especially regarding their innate ability to simplify and visualize complex systems and environmental issues that otherwise appear distant or invisible.

Why Do Consumers Intend to Purchase Natural Food? Integrating Theory of Planned Behavior, Value-Belief-Norm Theory, and Trust

Article

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Jun 2021

Natural labels are increasingly present in the market and appreciated by consumers, despite formal regulation still missing. Knowing the psychosocial factors that may predict natural food choice may be useful to understand what drives consumers to choose this category of food. We analyzed the antecedents of consumers’ intention to purchase natural food, testing a theoretical model that integrates the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the value-belief-norm (VBN) theory, and consumers’ trust in natural food. A sample of Italian participants (N = 1018) filled an online questionnaire assessing intention to buy natural food, TPB and VBN variables, and trust in the natural food supply chain. The model applied yielded results which confirmed the predictiveness of the tested integrated model. Attitude and perceived behavioral control were the strongest antecedents of intention, followed by trust and personal norm. Consumers’ intention to buy natural food was also associated with their evaluation of the consequences and possibilities related to the purchase behavior, as well as with their moral evaluation attributable to pro-environmental determinants

Willingness-to-pay for restoration of water quality services across geo-political boundaries

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2021

Establishing the value attached to ecosystem services provides instrumental information in the planning of conservation initiatives to ensure forest ecosystem sustainability. This study fills a gap in the literature regarding the value associated with ecosystem services for which their direct use can be challenged by distance and geo-political boundaries. We estimated US residents' willingness-to-pay (WTP) for the restoration of degraded temperate out-of-state and tropical out-of-the-country forested watersheds for improved water quality services under hypothetical payment for ecosystem services (PES) programs. Factors influencing WTP were estimated using a bivariate probit model and mean WTP values adjusted for self-reported certainty of responses. Transboundary economic value decay was reflected on lower households' annual WTP values for the restoration of the tropical out-of-the-country (US$ 124.15–238.30) than temperate out-of-state (US$ 131.70–256.79) forested watershed ecosystems. Bequest and existence were the non-use value motivations most strongly associated with WTP for temperate out-of-state and tropical international PES programs, respectively. Other salient explanatory variables included program cost to households, age, sex, income, household size, political party identification, attitudes towards PES, affiliation with environmental conservation group and direct experience with comparable natural resources. This study offers evidence of positive prospects for transboundary PES programs to restore geographically delimited ecosystem services driven by existence, option and bequest value motivations.

Determinants of eco-socially conscious consumer behavior toward alternative fuel vehicles

Article

Feb 2021
J Consum Market

Purpose Climate change and global warming are acknowledged to be growing issues caused by emissions of greenhouse gases. Fuel-efficient or green cars offer a technological solution to reduce CO 2 emissions from car exhaust. This study aims to draw on value–belief–norm (VBN) theory to provide an explanation of eco-socially conscious consumer behavior (ESCCB) related to the choice and use of personal cars. Design/methodology/approach The data was collected from 1,372 customers of the automobile industry of Pakistan, randomly drawn from 8 metropolitan cities. Partial least squares structural equation modeling is used to verify the hypotheses of the study. Findings By using variance-based structural equation modeling, this study showed that the VBN theory is fully supported in the cultural context of Pakistan and behavioral context of ESCCB. More specifically, personal introjected norms of the customers proved to be strong predictors of ESCCB while personal integrated norms predicted eco-social purchase intentions well. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the only study of its kind that examines the VBN model in the context of a developing country, Pakistan, and for a category of behaviors rarely tested before, i.e. ESCCBs related to purchase and use of personal cars.

Determinants of eco-socially conscious consumer behavior toward alternative fuel vehicles

Article

Feb 2021
J Consum Market

Purpose-Climate change and global warming are acknowledged to be growing issues caused by emissions of greenhouse gases. Fuel-efficient or green cars offer a technological solution to reduce CO 2 emissions from car exhaust. This study aims to draw on value-belief-norm (VBN) theory to provide an explanation of eco-socially conscious consumer behavior (ESCCB) related to the choice and use of personal cars. Design/methodology/approach-The data was collected from 1,372 customers of the automobile industry of Pakistan, randomly drawn from 8 metropolitan cities. Partial least squares structural equation modeling is used to verify the hypotheses of the study. Findings-By using variance-based structural equation modeling, this study showed that the VBN theory is fully supported in the cultural context of Pakistan and behavioral context of ESCCB. More specifically, personal introjected norms of the customers proved to be strong predictors of ESCCB while personal integrated norms predicted eco-social purchase intentions well. Originality/value-To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the only study of its kind that examines the VBN model in the context of a developing country, Pakistan, and for a category of behaviors rarely tested before, i.e. ESCCBs related to purchase and use of personal cars.

Examining the Moderation Effect of Political Trust on the Linkage between Civic Morality and Support for Environmental Taxation

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2020
Int J Environ Res Publ Health

Climate change and pollution are threatening sustainable environments and human life. To mitigate and adapt to the effects of such threats, governments around the world need significant financial resources. Accordingly, this study focuses on which factors are associated with individuals’ support for taxation to protect the environment and pays special attention to the direct effects of civic morality and political trust, as well as their joint effects on support for environmental taxation. Ordered probit results with a sample size of 760 demonstrate that civic morality is positively associated with individuals’ support for environmental taxation; political trust works in the same way. More importantly, political trust moderates and enhances the linkage between civic morality and support for environmental taxation, demonstrating that it can serve as a powerful tool in a government’s efforts to protect the environment.

“I buy green products, do you…?”: The moderating effect of eWOM on green purchase behavior in Malaysian cosmetics industry

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2019
Int J Pharmaceut Healthc Market

Purpose In recent years, consumers are moving toward purchasing green cosmetics instead of chemical one. Plenty of cosmetics products are banned globally due to the usage of poisonous substances such as triphenyl phosphate and petroleum. As such, it is needed to shift the conventional purchase behavior to green purchase behavior (GPB) to reduce the negative impact on the environment and health. This study aims to investigate the factors that affect GPB in the context of cosmetics products purchase. Additionally, this study examines the moderating role of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in influencing such green behavior. Design/methodology/approach This study used value-belief-norm (VBN) theory and elaboration likelihood model as a theoretical basis. By using judgmental sampling techniques, a total of 318 usable responses were gathered through online survey. The structural equation modeling approach using partial least square (SmartPLS, version 3.7) technique was used to test the study hypotheses. Findings Results reveal that altruistic value and hedonic value both positively affect pro-environmental beliefs, which eventually affect consumers’ personal norms. It is found that hedonic value has a greater influence on pro-environmental belief than altruistic value. Additionally, personal norm also exerts significant influence on GPB. Data also support the mediating role of pro-environmental belief and personal norm. Moreover, the multidimensional eWOM moderates the relationship between personal norm and GPB. Practical implications The findings from this study provide valuable insights for marketers, academicians and practitioners about the drivers of consumers’ green cosmetics purchase behavior. It will enable marketers to develop better strategies for the green market segment. Social implications The study findings also contribute to the social aspects by understanding consumers’ purchase behavior toward green cosmetics products. It ultimately promotes to consider a healthier lifestyle and to be concerned about environmental well-being. Originality/value This study is the first to introduce the eWOM as a moderator in the VBN theory. Moreover, this study contributes to the existing body of knowledge in the field by examining few new linkages; more specifically, considering pro-environmental belief as to the mediator between “hedonic value and personal norm,” as well as the mediating effect of personal norm in the relationship between “pro-environmental belief and GPB.” Moreover, this is a pioneer study to consider eWOM as a multidimensional construct rather than unidimensional, which is new in green marketing literature.

Understanding the Environmentally Sustainable Behavior of Chinese University Students as Tourists: An Integrative Framework

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2023
Int J Environ Res Publ Health

The purpose of this study is to develop a theoretical framework by integrating the value�belief-norm (VBN) theory with environmental awareness in measuring Chinese university students’ environmentally sustainable behavior toward tourism destinations. University students tend to engage in sustainability efforts since their values and beliefs are still being formed. The participants were 301 university students from a university in eastern China. The empirical findings demonstrate that: (1) environmental awareness has positive influences on biospheric value, altruistic value and egoistic value; (2) biospheric value positively predicts the new ecological paradigm (NEP), whereas altruistic and egoistic values do not; (3) the NEP, awareness of consequence and personal norms play an important mediating role. Results indicate that extended VBN can explain students’ environmentally sustainable behavior. This research supports the growth of sustainable tourism and has a number of practical implications for universities and the relevant environmental departments to promote university students’ involvement in sustainable tourism.

When Less Is More: Understanding the Adoption of a Minimalist Lifestyle Using the Theory of Planned Behavior

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2023

Minimalism is a promising approach that supports consumers' shift towards sustainable behaviors , with the perks of increasing emotional well-being. To understand which socio-psychological factors and intrinsic values determine the adoption of a minimalist lifestyle, we employ an extended framework of the theory of planned behavior to investigate the drivers behind the adoption intention. We test, through a partial least squares path modelling analysis, a structural model that depicts: (i) the influences of value orientations (altruistic, bioshperic, and egoistic) on attitudes; and (ii) the influence of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on intention. The results indicate positive effects for all examined relationships, with effect sizes highlighting that attitudes and altruistic values should be prioritized in practical interventions that support a sustainable behavior. Surprisingly, we find a positive effect also for egoistic values, suggestive of the need for future cross-cultural research on minimalism and sustainability in Central and Eastern Europe.

Learning pathways for engagement: Understanding drivers of pro-environmental behavior in the context of protected area management

Article

Sep 2022
J ENVIRON MANAGE

The participation of local communities in management decisions is critically important to the long-term salience and therefore, success, of protected areas. Engaging community members in meaningful ways requires knowledge of their behavior and its antecedents, particularly values. Understanding how learning influences cooperation in conservation initiatives is also fundamentally important for supporting decisions being made about public lands. However, there is little empirical evidence of how learning from different information sources works in conjunction with values that shape behavior. Using data from a household survey of residents living in the Denali region of Interior Alaska, U.S, we estimated a two-step structural equation model to understand the psychological reasons why stakeholders made decisions to collectively benefit the environment. Results showed that more diverse pathways by which learning occurred were instrumental in explaining why residents performed pro-environmental behaviors over the past year. Additionally, values that reflected the goals of eudaimonia influenced the transfer and negotiation of knowledge exchange among stakeholders as a correlate of behavior. Environmental concern and personal norms were positively associated with reported behaviors operationalized as social environmentalism and living in an environmentally conscientious manner, whereas environmental concern and willingness to pay for protected area management positively influenced civic engagement. We argue that broadening the range of learning spaces and considering a more diverse array of values in communities surrounding protected areas will encourage daily lifestyle changes, social interactions to support environmentalism, and more robust, pluralistic forms of public engagement in natural resource management.

Citizens' willingness to pay for local anaerobic digestion energy: The influence of altruistic value and knowledge

Article

Aug 2022
ENERGY

The willingness of citizens to pay for energy from local anaerobic digestion is a difficult and complex process prejudiced by a broad range of factors. This study aims to investigate how citizens' local anaerobic digestion knowledge and altruistic value affects their willingness to pay (WTP) for energy from local anaerobic digestion schemes in Jiangsu province through the impacts of subjective norm and attitude. The theory of reasoned action (TRA) was used to construct the research model. The study compares the original TRA and the current research model. The study collected data from 400 respondents in Jiangsu province, exploiting structural equation modeling techniques in analyzing the data. The results show that citizens' knowledge and altruistic value were positively and significantly related to the subjective norm and attitude towards citizens' WTP for energy from local anaerobic digestion (LAD) schemes. The study revealed that citizens' LAD knowledge and altruistic value positively influence subjective norms and attitudes. The study found that the current research model is better than the original TRA model. The study advocates for marketers of such schemes to establish appropriate techniques to increase citizen trust in their schemes. Also, policymakers should run more campaigns to create environmental concerns on anaerobic digestion in Jiangsu province.

The Effect of Novel and Environmentally Friendly Foods on Consumer Attitude and Behavior: A Value-Attitude-Behavioral Model

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2022

Extreme weather conditions have intensified due to manufactured environmental damage in recent years. To reduce the environmental impact on the Earth, many consumers seek to change their dietary patterns to protect the environment and voluntarily switch to a vegetarian diet. Past studies have found that the transition from nonvegetarian to vegetarian is not easy, but promoting the consumption of alternative foods such as plant-based meat alternatives should help consumers gradually reduce their dependence on meat during the transition period of changing their eating habits. This study was designed to apply the value-attitude-behavior model (VAB) to study the consumption attitude and behavior of novel and environmentally friendly foods such as plant-based meat alternatives, and the novelty of plant-based meat alternatives was included as an intervening variable for discussion. In this study, 376 valid questionnaires were collected from college students in Taiwan, and the recovery rate of valid questionnaires was 94%. It was found from the analysis of results that perceptions of green value and animal welfare value had a significantly positive effect on attitude, while attitude and product knowledge also had a significant positive effect on behavior; however, the novelty of plant-based meat alternatives products did not have an interference effect on the relationship between product knowledge and behavior. Based on the research findings of this study, it is suggested that when introducing plant-based meat alternatives products, food companies should not only let consumers understand that they are based on environmental friendliness and animal welfare values but also enhance the marketing and promotion of product knowledge to increase consumers’ confidence in purchasing plant-based meat alternatives and reduce their consumption concerns.

Ecoliteracy assessment using Q-methodology: Indonesian high school students' views on disaster and ecology

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2022

Various environmental crises and natural disasters encourage educational curricula in all countries to accommodate epistemic processes intended to improve students' competency in environmental literacy. Awareness, skills, knowledge, and attitudes towards the environment are part of ecoliteracy competencies measurable using tools. This study aimed to assess the environmental literacy of high school students by means of Q-methodology as a tool. The assessment did not evaluate scores but rather emphasised the subjectivity of participants to demonstrate students' diverse ecoliteracy perspectives in the context of environmental and disaster issues. This study combined qualitative and quantitative research methods. It selected 51 participants (26 natural science students and 25 social science students) from three senior high schools in D. I. Yogyakarta Province, Indonesia. The Q-sorting process and data analysis used the FlashQ (Flash-based application) and KADE Desktop, respectively. The results discovered five factors in each group, with a cumulative percentage of explained variance of 64% in natural science students and 55% in social science students. The following factors have the same label because of the similarity of participants' opinions described in their answers: recognising positive and negative consequences; reflecting; and identifying problems. Using Q-methodology as an assessment tool can demonstrate which issues are of primary concern to students.

Kryazh2012 monograph

Book

Full-text available

May 2022

Iryna Kryazh

The monograph highlights the psychological aspects of anthropogenic environmental change. The analysis of the value and worldview aspects of the anthropogenic ecological crisis is carried out. For the first time in Russian-language scientific literature, an extensive review of psychological studies of the problem of global environmental change, conducted by foreign psychologists over the past 40 years, is given. The main theoretical approaches developed by leading experts in the field of conservation psychology are considered. The results of the author's empirical research focused on the problem of meaning regulation of environmentally relevant behavior are presented. The monograph also discusses the psychological aspects of social interventions in the direction of the formation of environmentally responsible behavior, and examines the problems of social and environmental marketing and environmental education. В монографии освещаются психологические аспекты антропогенных экологических изменений. Проводится анализ ценностных и мировоззренческих аспектов антропогенного экологического кризиса. Впервые в отечественной научной литературе проводится обширный обзор психологических исследований по проблеме глобальных изменений, выполненных зарубежными психологами за последние 40 лет; рассматриваются основные теоретические подходы, разработанные ведущими специалистами в области психологии экосохранения. Приводятся результаты авторских эмпирических исследований, сосредоточенных вокруг проблемы смысловой регуляции экологически релевантного поведения. Также в монографии обсуждаются психологические аспекты социальных интервенций в направлении формирования экологически ответственного поведения, рассматриваются проблемы социально-экологического маркетинга и экологического просвещения.

Should the Tigers be Protected?: A Survey on Opinions of Local Inhabitants of Bandhavgarh and Related Social Factors in the Conservation of Tigers

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2022

Partha Dube

Increased human populations and the resulting encroachment of related anthropogenic land uses into natural landscapes which once afforded wildlife habitats is a global conservation concern. Of particular concern, are the human-wildlife conflicts perpetuated because of human populations’ growth in the area where large carnivores occur? These increasing conflicts may further impact the conservation of carnivores because of public concerns for human health and safety and economic impacts on subsistence agriculture. In India, increased population growth has impacted the natural habitats for the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) and the related conflicts have impacted efforts to conserve the species. To better describe the social factors that may affect large carnivore conservation in India, we surveyed the tiger-affected people, the relatives of the people killed by tigers, and the common villagers in the adjacent villages of Bandhavgarh National Park of Madhya Pradesh in India. All of our questionnaires are related to the protection of tigers and the reasons behind it. This study featured the first assessment and basic data for understanding Bengal tigers in the area of Bandhavgarh Forest.

Multi‐species, multi‐country analysis reveals North Americans are willing to pay for transborder migratory species conservation

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2022

Abstract Migratory species often provide ecosystem service benefits to people in one country while receiving habitat support in other countries. The multinational cooperation that could help ensure continued provisioning of these benefits by migration may be informed by understanding the economic values people in different countries place on the benefits they derive from migratory wildlife. We conducted contingent valuation surveys to estimate the willingness of 3733 respondents from Canada, the United States and México to invest in conservation for two disparate migratory species, the northern pintail duck Anas acuta and the Mexican free‐tailed bat Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana. With zero‐inflated mixed‐effects negative binomial regression (explaining 87% of the variation in willingness to pay for conservation), we found that respondents from each nation, after controlling for both household income and per capita national Gross Domestic Product, were willing to invest in conservation in other countries. This willingness to pay for conservation, even when respondents knew that funds would be used to support benefits accruing primarily in other countries, demonstrates the potential for support of multinational conservation policies and programmes that direct resources to locations where the most critical habitat is located, rather than where the funding is generated. These findings could be used to support the development or expansion of new and existing international conservation programmes for migratory species. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Does Political Participation Strengthen the Relationship between Civic Morality and Environmentally Friendly Attitudes? Evidence from South Korea

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2022
Int J Environ Res Publ Health

Environmental degradation in recent years has been threatening not only environmental sustainability but also human viability. To counter these threats, this study focuses on whether civic morality is associated with taxation for environmental protection (green taxation) and with higher pricing for environmental protection (green pricing) and whether the relationship between civic morality and green taxation, as well as that between civic morality and green pricing, is moderated by individuals’ perceptions of their own political participation. Employing the 2014 Korean General Social Survey and an ordered probit model, the study finds that civic morality is positively associated with green pricing and green taxation. Moreover, the positive relationship between civic morality and green pricing, as well as between civic morality and green taxation, is further strengthened when individuals’ perceptions of their own political participation are strong.

German Laypeople’s Willingness to Donate Toward Insect Conservation: Application of an Extended Protection Motivation Theory

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2022

It is essential to engage the public in conservation measures to conserve insects. We investigate the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), as well as knowledge, attitudes, and sociodemographic variables (gender, age, education level, and income) as predictors of willingness to donate (WTD) and actual donations to insect conservation for a representative German sample (N = 515; MAge = 49.36, SD = 16.73; female = 50.1%). The PMT subcomponents severity, self-efficacy, and response efficacy, as well as attitudes toward insects, income, and education level, significantly predicted WTD. In contrast, severity, response barriers, age, gender, and the WTD significantly influenced actual donations. Overall, components of the PMT have high predictive power for both dependent variables. Our results suggest that an intention-behavior gap exists between the intention to donate and the actual donation toward insect conservation. Measures to increase WTD and actual donations for insect conservation are discussed.

Local communities’ preferences and economic values for ecosystem services from Mole National Park in Ghana: A choice experiment approach

Article

Nov 2021

Mole National Park (MNP) is one of Ghana’s largest protected areas recognized for its contribution to the provision of different ecosystem services including habitat for several plant and animal species and ecotourism. The demand for forest ecosystem services by fringing communities around protected areas continue to increase, yet there is still limited information on local preferences and values for ecosystem services derived from these areas. A discrete choice experiment (DCE) survey was conducted in five fringing communities of MNP to understand difference in preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for improvement in ecosystem services derived from MNP. Data were analyzed using a random parameter logit model for attributes including water quality, wildlife habitat, ecotourism and hunting access for subsistence use. The results show positive willingness to pay for change from low to high levels of improvement for all attributes except hunting access. Preferences and willingness to pay for improvement in water quality services and hunting access were homogenous across respondents. Stated WTP for improved ecosystem attributes was associated with the proposed program cost to households and demographic factors including education, age, and family size. On average, respondents were willing to pay an aggregated amount of GH₵ 14.95 (US$ 2.65) and GH₵ 8.18 (US$ 1.45) per household per month for higher and moderate levels of improvement in the four selected attributes (water quality, habitat for wildlife, hunting access and ecotourism) respectively. Overall, the findings demonstrate support for improvement in management outcomes for enhanced ecosystem services. Preferences and values for ecosystem attributes by fringing communities should therefore be considered in park management decisions to ensure efficient and sustainable collaborative natural resource management initiatives.

Selected Soil Properties Among Agroforestry, Natural Forest, Traditional Agriculture, and Palm Oil Land Uses in Central Kalimantan

Chapter

Full-text available

Oct 2021

The deforestation in Indonesia has begun in the twentieth century due to agricultural expansion and mechanization. The uncontrolled and illegal land conversions have affected forest functions, food security, and soil health. The objective of this study is to evaluate differences in soil properties among major land-use practices and determine agroforestry’s potential for soil rehabilitation. The study design consisted of palm oil plantation (POP), traditional agriculture (TA), agroforestry homegarden (AHG), and natural forest (NF) management treatments in completely randomized block design with three replications. Soil samples were collected from three villages Kuala Pembuang, Muara Dua, and Telaga Pulang within the Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve located in Seruyan District, Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia, in June 2017. Soils from 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm were analyzed for cellulase, PMEase, urease, C, and N. The results showed that enzyme activities and percentages of C and N were significantly different (α 0.05) among management practices within the soil depths. The highest enzyme activities were found in NF, AHG, and TA treatments. The lowest C level was found at 0–15 cm soil depth (1.32%) of POP. The highest nitrogen level was found at NF (1.23%) for 15–30 cm soil depth followed by TA site at 0–15 cm (1.15%). The lowest soil N level was found at POP among treatments and depths (0.43% and 0.21%). The outcomes of this study will help formulate land management recommendations for landowners, palm oil management, government agencies, and communities around the study areas to maintain soil quality for long-term sustainability of the peat forest ecosystems. Homegarden systems can be recommended as the most appropriate alternative land management in Seruyan District, Central Kalimantan. Future research could investigate microbial community structure and characteristics to understand specific soil functions by treatments.

Ecosystem Services from Agroforestry Systems in Australia

Chapter

Oct 2021

Australia is well known for being mostly dry, and for having generally poor soils. Much of the area of the continent which actually has sufficient precipitation to support forests has been cleared of tree cover for agriculture and grazing. Some 100,000 farming properties encompass more than 50 million ha in an arc from tropical far north Queensland along the eastern and southeastern coastlines, with another fertile region in southwestern Australia. Thus there is a role for trees and forests in agroforestry systems that could develop in these often degraded lands. Australia has a strong natural science sector which has contributed useful research on potential agroforestry systems, particularly in the areas of shelterbelts in grazing areas, and the deployment of trees for alleviation of salinity, which is a serious problem in some regions. Efforts to develop the ecosystem services derived from agroforestry have been sporadic, often short-term, in both public and private sectors, although efforts of groups such as Landcare and many regional farm forestry networks have started to make headway.

Asian Journal of Biology 12(2): 12-23, 2021; Article no.AJOB.68383 Social Factors Affecting the Conservation of Tigers in the Samsher Nagar Area of Sunderbans

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2021

Partha Dube

Increased human populations and the resulting encroachment of related lands with poaching of tigers and their key prey threaten the survival of tigers across their range. Mere collection of huge data on ecology does not promote the protection of carnivores but it mainly depends on public cooperation and awareness. The public attitude towards carnivores (Panthera tigris tigris) is vital because fear pervades among the local inhabitants. Our target population consisted of all adults inhabitants. We sampled arbitrarily founded on geographic area. We guessed that the best data collection method would involve sampling at home of the residents by personal interview with the questionnaires due to huge illiteracy of the inhabitants. Proceeding this way was time-consuming but proved to increase the quality of responses. We studied villagers' mind-set and collected information on public awareness, feelings and frequency of sightings related to the tigers. They were conscious of its existence and aware of its ecological values to conserve Sunderbans also. To better understand the social factors affecting large carnivore conservation, we surveyed the tiger-affected people, the relatives of the people killed by tigers and the common villagers in the village of Samser nagar of Sunderbans, West Bengal, in India. People living in this area are heavily dependent on forest for their livelihood. They collect honey and catch crabs and fish seedlings from the jungle. Nowadays, many tourists came to see flora and fauna and the eternal beauty of Sunderbans. Many people depend their livelihood on tourism. These social factors make them to think to save Sunderbans. If Sunderbans is destroyed in near future, then they will suffer economically. A financial constraint of the inhabitants to protect the human lives and cattle from the attack of tigers was Original Research Article Dube; AJOB, 12(2): 12-23, 2021; Article no.AJOB.68383 13 revealed by choosing the category willing to conserve but not afforded to pay. This study was the first assessment of public responsiveness and exposed the basic data for understanding Bengal tigers in the area of Samsher nagar of Sunderbans.

Valuing Forest Ecosystem Services. Why Is an Integrative Approach Needed?

Article

Full-text available

May 2021

Among the many types of terrestrial ecosystems, forests have some of the highest levels of biodiversity; they also have many interdependent economic, ecological and social functions and provide ecosystem services. They supply a range of tangible, marketable goods, as well as a variety of nonmarketable and intangible services derived from various forest functions. These translate into social, cultural, health and scientific benefits for people’s quality of life. However, because they cannot be traded on a market, nonmarketable and intangible services are often perceived as free, inexhaustible and, as a result, underestimated. The human–nature interaction has affected both nature (via resource consumption) and society (via development of human welfare and well-being). Decision-makers, both public and private, often manage natural capital for multiple aims. In recent years it has been found that the single, individual approach estimating the value for these goods and services is not able to provide information that generates and supports decisions and policies in complex areas of current relevance such as the constant loss of biodiversity, climate change and global warming in close connection with the need for social development and ensuring an acceptable level of well-being for the greatest part of humanity. An integrated assessment with advanced techniques and methods using a pluralist framework of a heterogeneous set of values is considered a better approach to the valuation of such complex nature of the ecosystem goods and services. This assessment should take into account both costs and benefits trade-off issues among the multiple uses of ecosystem goods and/or services, especially the relationships between them and how they influence or determine the economic, social and cultural development of society. It should also consider the estimation of the complex inverse effect, from society to nature, whose goods and services can be diminished to exhaustion by the extensive and intensive anthropization of natural ecosystems with major impact on the number and quality of goods and services provided by ecosystems. Research has shown that applying an integrative assessment approach that utilizes tools developed by sustainability sciences could be an important component of future environmental policy making.

Unveiling the Consumers’ Taste Attributed to Energy Efficient labelled Appliances: Evidence from Energy Efficiency 2019 Appliance Compliance Monitoring Report

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2021

Abstract— In Ghana, standards and labelling (S&L) for appliances and the Rebate refrigerator initiative were implemented in 2011 and 2012 respectively to offer consumers the awareness they really need making well-informed decisions about monitored appliances when purchasing monitored appliances and then to encourage standards and labelling. The study assessed the consumers’ compliance level for home energy saving initiatives based on the report from the Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency & Climate Change Directorate of Ghana on Compliance Monitoring and Data Collection in December 2019. More precisely, the study looked at the compliance level of standards and labels with the Rating of Energy Labels (ERL) of the Ghanaian market appliances and the influence exerted on the consumers’ taste for energy labelled appliances. In the Ghanaian distribution and the retail outlets throughout the regions, a total of 6739 appliances were surveyed including; 6198 refrigeration appliances together with 541 air-conditioners. The compliance level with the availability of its test report of all refrigerating appliances and air conditioners found on the market is 99.62% and 99.37% respectively. The standard of compliance for refrigerating equipment in all retail stores or shops is 97.34%, while that of air conditioners is 97.80%. The results of the report shows 99% compliance level for cooling appliances on the Ghanaian market. This study recommends the need to stimulate and enable Ghanaian importers and manufacturers to bring to the market more energy-efficient refrigerators and air- conditioners. Again, government must take into account national needs and to ensure that efficient energy products are accessible and desirable to enterprises in supplying the appliances.

Public support for restoration: Does including ecosystem services as a goal engage a different set of values and attitudes than biodiversity protection alone?

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2021
PLOS ONE

The ecosystem services concept has come into wide use in conservation and natural resource management, partly due to its appeal as an anthropocentric rationale for protecting and restoring nature. Proponents of the ecosystem services concept expect that presenting these arguments alongside biodiversity arguments should lead to a broader base of support for conservation. This raises the question of whether support for activities that ensure ecosystem service provision relates to different sets of core values, or environmental attitudes, than support for biodiversity protection. We surveyed adult Australians to evaluate the influence of values and attitudes on willingness to pay for different habitat restoration outcomes. We hypothesized that when restoration is framed with an anthropocentric rationale (such as ecosystem service provision), support for restoration would align more strongly with anthropocentric or self-centered values and attitudes. Specifically, we tested if preference for ecosystem service benefits over biodiversity attributes, as indicated by willingness to pay in different restoration scenarios, is more strongly associated with self-enhancing (Egoistic) than self-transcending (Altruistic and Biospheric) values, and more associated with a pro-use attitude towards nature (Utilization) than an anti-use attitude (Preservation). We found that support for habitat restoration is generally based on ecocentric values and attitudes, but that positive associations between pro-environmental behavior and Egoistic values emerge when emphasis is placed on ecosystem service outcomes. Individuals scoring higher on Egoistic/Utilization metrics were also more likely to anticipate disservices from restoration. Attitudes predicted behavioral intention (willingness to pay) better than core values. Our results support the notion that the ecosystem services concept garners nontraditional backers and broadens the appeal of ecological restoration.

I Am versus We Are: How Biospheric Values and Environmental Identity of Individuals and Groups Can Influence Pro-environmental Behaviour

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2021

Most research in environmental psychology is conducted in individualistic countries and focuses on factors pertaining to individuals. It is yet unclear whether these findings also apply to more collectivistic countries, in which group factors might play a prominent role. In the current paper, we test the individual-focused value-identity-behaviour pathway, in which personal biospheric values relate to pro-environmental actions via environmental self-identity, in an individualistic and a collectivistic country. Furthermore, we test in both countries, whether a new group-focused pathway also exists, in which group values relate to pro-environmental behaviour via environmental group-identity, particularly in collectivistic countries. Questionnaire studies were conducted among Dutch (N = 161) and Chinese (N = 168) students. Our results indicated that personal biospheric values, mostly via environmental self-identity, predict pro-environmental behaviour in both individualistic and collectivistic cultures. We also found initial support for our newly proposed value-identity-behaviour pathway at the group level, particularly in China. Yet, in both countries, the association between group-level variables and pro-environmental behaviour was weaker than for personal level variables, and partly overlapped with personal level variables. Our findings show the relevance of personal- and group-level factors in understanding pro-environmental behaviour in both individualistic and collectivistic countries, which has strong theoretical and practical implications, particularly for developing international strategies to promote pro-environmental actions across the world.

Economic value of non-market ecosystem services derived from trees on cocoa farms

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2020

Tree-based conservation agriculture is becoming critical for reducing vulnerability of agricultural production systems from climate risks while enhancing forest-agriculture landscapes. On-farm tree integration is being promoted to restore degraded forest in cocoa landscapes. This study assessed farmers' knowledge and attitude towards non-market ecosystem services provided by trees on cocoa farms. Contingent valuation method was used to estimate economic value of these services to farmers. Data from 340 cocoa farmers from 10 cocoa-farming communities in the Western and Western North Regions of Ghana were analyzed. The results show farmers are familiar with non-market ecosystem services provided by on-farm trees. About 83% of respondents had either retained naturally occurring trees or intentionally planted trees on their farms. Cocoa farmers were willing to pay for tree integration on farms to enhance a bundle of essential regulating and supporting non-market ecosystem services such as providing habitat for pollinating insects and nutrient cycling. The estimated economic values for a bundled non-market ecosystem services provided by integrated trees on cocoa farms was GH₵837.59 (USD 164.00) per farmer per hectare per year. This amount is approximately 8.2% of the mean annual household income of respondent and equivalent to approximately 128 kg (2 bags) of marketable cocoa beans. Family size, age, value motivations and favourable attitude towards forest in general statistically predicted willingness to pay. Cocoa farmers hold substantial economic value for non-market ecosystem services provided by trees on cocoa farms and are likely to support on-farm tree integration initiatives that provide these essential non-market ecosystem services for enhanced cocoa productivity.

Environmental attitudes and place identity as determinants of preferences for environmental goods

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2020
ECOL ECON

Stated preference methods are frequently employed to measure people's willingness to pay (WTP) for ecosystem services. However, these techniques are also criticized for following a simplified approach, which often ignores the role of complex psychological and sociological factors, such as general environmental attitudes and place identity beliefs. By means of a discrete choice experiment exercise, we explored the influence of general environmental attitudes and place identity perceptions on WTP, taking peatland restoration in Scotland as a case study. Our research adds to the existing literature by providing a more nuanced picture of the determinants of WTP and by exploring and mapping the distribution of the estimated welfare measures. Our results, obtained from the estimation of hybrid choice models, show that people with more positive environmental attitudes and greater attachment to peatlands and Scotland tend to display higher WTP for peatland restoration. However, differences exist across respondents, depending on their socio-demographic profile and the geographical area. A better understanding of the heterogeneity of preferences for ecosystem services is helpful to guide more efficient policy design and to inform policy-makers about the distributional impacts of planned policies for equity considerations in project appraisal.

Antecedents of green purchase behavior of cosmetics products: An empirical investigation among Malaysian consumers

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2019

Purpose There is a growing need to conduct more studies to understand the green purchase behavior of cosmetics products because of its increasing trend in the emerging markets. Considering this, the study aims to shed some light on the factors that affect green purchase behavior of Malaysian consumers in the context of cosmetics product purchase. More specifically, the objective of this study is to examine the effect of altruistic and hedonic values and the mediating effect of personal norm and pro-environmental belief toward green purchase behavior. Design/methodology/approach An online survey using judgmental sampling technique was used to gather responses from green cosmetics consumers. A questionnaire was designed to measure the study variables, which was then tested for content, and face validity and reliability prior to its administration. The structural equation modeling using the partial least squares approach (SmartPLS, version 3.7) was used to test the study hypotheses. Findings The results revealed that hedonic value has a significant and positive effect on pro-environmental belief. However, altruistic value did not exert any significant effect on pro-environmental belief. It is also found that pro-environmental belief positively affects personal norm, and as a consequence, personal norm affects green purchase behavior. The data also support the mediating effect of pro-environmental belief in the relationship between “hedonic value and personal norm.” Nevertheless, pro-environmental belief did not mediate the relationship between altruistic value and personal norm. Lastly, personal norm mediates the relationship between “pro-environmental belief and green purchase behavior”. Practical implications The findings from this study enable managers, marketers and policy makers to execute better green strategies that would boost consumers’ green purchase behavior toward cosmetics products. Originality/value This study contributes to the existing literature on green purchase behavior by testing hedonic value as the antecedent and pro-environmental belief as the mediator by using the value-belief-norm theory. Moreover, this is a pioneer study to consider personal norm as the mediator of green purchase behavior.

The mediating role of place attachment between nature connectedness and human well-being: perspectives from Japan

Article

Full-text available

May 2020
SUSTAIN SCI

Previous studies have demonstrated the role of nature connectedness in promoting human well-being. However, recent studies put emphasis on understanding the underlying mechanism that drives the association between nature connectedness and well-being, mainly mental health. Place attachment is one of the place-based socio-psychological concepts that is believed to explain this association. Analysis of survey data collected from Japanese nationals (N = 2203) revealed place attachment to have a positive and significant mediating effect on the association. Place attachment contributes to 30% of the total effect of nature connectedness on the well-being of the studied population. Furthermore, the study also observed the relationship between nature connectedness and place attachment, and place attachment and human well-being to be direct and significant. Thus, the current research supports the fact that higher levels of well-being associated with nature connectedness are due to the sense of attachment to a place that nature provides.

Economic valuation of wildlife conservation

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2023
EUR J WILDLIFE RES

Unlabelled: This paper reviews concepts and methods for the economic valuation of nature in the context of wildlife conservation and questions them in light of alternative approaches based on deliberation. Economic valuations have been used to set priorities, consider opportunity costs, assess co-benefits of conservation, support the case for conservation in public awareness and advocacy, and drive novel schemes to change incentives. We discuss the foundational principles of mainstream economic valuation in terms of its assumptions about values, markets, and human behaviour; propose a list of valuation studies in relation to wildlife protection; and explain the methods used. We then review critiques of these approaches focusing on the narrow way in which economics conceives of values, and institutional, power, and equity concerns. Finally, we complement conventional approaches commonly used for wildlife valuation with two forms of deliberative valuation: deliberated preferences and deliberative democratic monetary valuation. These are discussed in terms of their potential to address the drawbacks of mainstream economics and to realise the potential of valuation in bridging conservation of nature for its own sake and its important contributions to human well-being. Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10344-023-01658-2.

Kryazh_2013_dissertation

Thesis

Full-text available

Jun 2013

Iryna Kryazh

Дисертацію присвячено теоретико-методологічному та емпіричному обґрунтуванню синергетичної концепції смислової регуляції екологічно релевантної поведінки. Емпірично вивчена роль екологічної позиції особистості як керуючого параметра системи смислової регуляції екологічно релевантної поведінки, що заданий співвідношенням біосферних та грошово-утилітаристських смислів. Смислове підґрунтя екозберігаючої поведінки становить екологічна стурбованість – властива біосферній екологічній позиції система смислових утворень, яка інтегрує афективний, когнітивний і екзистенціальний компоненти ставлення до екологічного оточення та визначає особистісну орієнтацію на екозбереження. Емпірично вивчені трансформації смислів екологічно релевантних дій залежно від екологічної ризик-рефлексії та зміни у осмисленні екологічної проблематики під впливом економічної кризи. The dissertation is devoted to the theoretical and empirical substantiation of the concept of meaning regulation of ecologically relevant behavior. The role of the ecological position of person as an operating parameter of the system of meaning regulation of ecologically relevant behavior that opened through parity of biospheric and economic orientation is investigated. The meaning basis of pro-ecological behavior is ecological concern – a system of meaning structures that is peculiar to biospheric ecological position and integrates affective, cognitive, and existential components of the relation to an environment, influencing subject orientation to conservation. Transformations of the meaning of ecologically relevant actions caused by ecological risk-refleсion and changes in the meaning of ecological issues under the influence of economic crisis are empirically investigated. Диссертация посвящена теоретико-методологическому и эмпирическому обоснованию концепции смысловой регуляции экологически релевантного поведения. На основе анализа социогенеза экологического дискурса разработана структурно-динамическая модель психологической регуляции процессов жизнеобеспечения в современном обществе. Экоразрушительная активность людей поддерживается доминирующей социальной парадигмой (ДСП), ключевыми параметрами которой являются антропоцентризм и вера в прогресс как непрерывный рост материального потребления. Осознание антропогенных глобальных угроз связано с формированием и развитием новой экологической парадигмы (НЭП). Оценка экологических изменений с позиций ДСП определяет более интенсивное экопотребление, в то время как осмысление с позиций НЭП ориентирует на экосохранение. Основное различие между ДСП и НЭП проявляется как оппозиция «финансово-экономическая ориентация – экологическая ориентация». Реализован синергетический подход к анализу смысловой регуляции субъектной активности. Вводится понятие экологической позиции личности как управляющего параметра системы смысловой регуляции экологически релевантного поведения, определяемой соотношением биосферной и денежно-утилитаристской ориентации и проявляющейся через смысловые образования разных уровней: личностные ценности, смысловые диспозиции, смысловые конструкты и установки. На эмпирическом материале c привлечением методов моделирования структурными уравнениями выявлены паттерны осмысления проблемы глобальных экологических изменений, характерные для субъектов с разными типами экологической позиции. Осмысление экологически релевантных действий опосредовано категориальной структурой, функционирующей как динамическая система смысловых конструктов. Содержание таких смысловых конструктов раскрывается через соотношение категориальных установок, упорядочивающих представления субъекта о возможных мотивах экологически релевантных действиях человека. На основе игрового моделирования изучены трансформации смыслов экологически релевантных действий, обусловленных экологической риск-рефлексией и проявляющихся в усилении экологического содержания смыслового конструкта беспокойства о будущем и переоценке действующих социальных норм. Смысловую основу экосберегающего поведения составляет экологическая озабоченность – система сложно скоординированных смысловых и ценностных диспозиций, релевантная экологическим угрозам и определяющая личностную ориентацию на экосохранение. Такая динамическая смысловая система, характеризующая биосферную экологическую позицию, интегрирует аффективный, когнитивный и экзистенциальный компоненты отношения к экологическому окружению. Осмысление глобальных экологических изменений связано с ценностными приоритетами субъекта. Биосферная ориентация обеспечивает непосредственный эмоциональный отклик на экоразрушительные процессы, спровоцированные активностью людей. При приоритете ценностей самовозвышения внимание субъекта направляется на текущие выгоды экоразрушительных способов действия, а их экоразрушительные последствия отрицаются. Ориентация на социальную гармонию обостряет внимание к потенциальным угрозам человеческому сообществу, однако эта ориентация может сочетаться с установками на неограниченный материальный прогресс и рост человеческой популяции. Выявлены неоднозначные сдвиги в осмыслении проблемы глобальных экологических изменений под влиянием макроэкономической ситуации: в условиях экономического кризиса усиливается субъективная значимость экологической безопасности при снижении субъективной значимости экологических проблем в целом, антропогенное влияние на экологическое окружение становится более отрефлексированным, но менее актуальным для субъекта. При обострении экономической ситуации актуализуются иррациональные смыслы экологических проблем как заслуженного возмездия со стороны природы. Важную роль в социальном продвижении проэкологического поведения играют социально-экологические сообщения, особенности осмысления которых обусловливают формирование готовности к экосберегающему поведению. В сообщениях о социально-экологических мероприятиях и программах следует делать акцент на актуальности конкретной экологической проблемы и доступных для осуществления в реальной жизни способах ее решения.

Kryazh 2013 dissertation

Thesis

Full-text available

May 2022

Iryna Kryazh

Social value of bird conservation on private forest lands in Pennsylvania, USA

Article

Jun 2022
ECOL ECON

Global biodiversity is in decline due to factors such as land-use change, pollution, and climate change. Birds contribute to biodiversity in several ways; one way, in particular, is by cultivating public support for habitat conservation by being a socially desirable category of wildlife. To understand the social value of bird conservation on private forest lands in Pennsylvania, a statewide web survey was used containing psychometric scales and choice experiment questions (n = 690). The data collected was used to identify important attitudinal positions and estimate statewide demand for bird conservation programs on private lands under different policy options. Mean household WTP was estimated to be $11.83 annually, and statewide demand was estimated to exceed $47 million annually. Nonuse and cultural values underpinned much of the utility associated with the proposed habitat conservation programs. Findings suggest investment in both public education and bird conservation on private lands is a legitimate strategy for mitigating biodiversity loss and enhancing social welfare.

The Influence of Environmental Value Orientations on the Overall Scuba Diving Experience within a Marine Protected Area

Article

Jan 2022

Makumbirofa, S.D. and Saayman, A., 2022. The influence of environmental value orientations on the overall scuba diving experience within a marine protected area. Journal of Coastal Research, 38(1), 168181. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. This paper reports on the findings of a discrete choice experiment that aims to value the different attributes of the scuba diving experience in the Portofino Marine Protected Area (MPA), taking into account the various environmental value orientations of the divers. The attributes were divided into five different qualitieswater visibility, diver crowding, species diversity, species number, and the willingness to paywhereas the general awareness of consequences scale measured value orientations. Using a self-administered choice questionnaire, divers were asked to state their choice from different sets of attributes. A sample of 556 completed questionnaires were collected, with each respondent answering two random choice cards representing a choice between two different sets of attributes. A multinomial logit model was used to estimate scuba divers' willingness to pay for the various environmental attributes. The findings show that the most valued attribute for scuba divers in the Portofino MPA is underwater visibility followed by a less crowded dive site. The divers are predominantly egoistic in their value orientation, indicating that pro-environmental behaviour and intentions stem from self-interest. Regulations and education programmes that emphasise direct benefits to divers' diving experience would therefore encourage pro-environmental behaviour.

Economic Valuation of Agroforestry Ecosystem Services

Chapter

Oct 2021

Agroforestry systems provide many ecosystem services that generate significant economic value to society. This chapter synthesizes current knowledge and methods on the economic valuation of ecosystem services, particularly those provided by agroforestry systems. We begin with a definition of ecosystem services from agroforestry. Common methods used to measure economic values are described and limitations are discussed. We surveyed estimated economic values of ecosystem services from agroforestry in the literature. Our review suggests that the economic valuation of ecosystem services provided by agroforestry has received limited attention. We outline suggestions for future assessment of the economic value of ecosystem services of agroforestry.

Unravelling the differential effects of pride and guilt along with values on green intention through environmental concern and attitude

Article

Jun 2021
KYBERNETES

Purpose In response to scholarly calls, the study aims to extend and magnify the existing understanding by unravelling the differential impact of anticipated emotions on green practice adoption intention through a proposed model by integrating anticipated pride and guilt in the same continuum along with values (altruistic, biospheric and egoistic) on an employee's attitude. Design/methodology/approach A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data randomly from 307 employees and middle-level executives of three subsidiaries of CIL through the simple random sampling (SRS) technique. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). Findings Results demonstrate that anticipated guilt influences individual cognitions and future ecological decision-making through improved attitude and higher concern for the environment while pride influences only through improved attitude. Other than biospheric and altruistic values, anticipated guilt is a direct and important antecedent of concern. Altruistic values are more influential predictors of environmental intentions in comparison to biospheric values. At the same time, environmental concern is more robust in predicting eco-intentions than attitude. Originality/value It makes notable difference from other studies by not only exploring the validity of the relationship between values on attitude and environmental concern but has also considered anticipated emotions of pride and guilt together alongside values on the same continuum as an antecedent of environmental attitude and concern towards employees’ green behavioural intention at the workplace. The findings are believed to provide a common consensus on differential effects of different states of emotions on environmental concern and attitude.

An extended behavior model for explaining the willingness to pay to reduce the air pollution in road transportation

Article

Jun 2021
J CLEAN PROD

Road transportation constitutes a key sector in developed countries, as an essential catalyst for economic and social activities. Nevertheless, it is relevant to emphasize the negative impacts of this activity identified in Economics as negative externalities. At the European Union, road transportation is the main cause of the air pollution impact on the population. Thus, this study explores the factors that influence the willingness to pay (WTP) on behalf of the citizens to reduce air pollution generated by road transport. In doing so, we propose two fundamental theoretical frameworks to explain individual behavior towards the environment actions: the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) models. A questionnaire survey with 1,612 residents was used to collect data in 65 localities located in the Spanish Pyrenees and performing a statistical analysis with the resulting data relied on application of Structural Equation Models (SEM). Moreover, the survey results highlight the importance of psychological aspects as predictors of pro-environmental behaviors. Our empirical results provide a novel contribution about how governments and educational policies can enhance the positive attitude towards environmental actions, unifying the struggle in favor of environmental protection from early childhood.

Extending the concept of pro-environmental action and behaviour: a binary perspective

Article

Dec 2020

Sharifah Intan Sharina Syed Abdullah

Many studies have explored pro-environmental actions. This paper aims to extend the concept of pro-environmental action in the context of binary themes or perspectives. The extended conceptualisation is drawn from a study that investigates the influence of residential outdoor environmental education courses on Malaysian participants’ environmental attitudes and behaviours using a life history approach. Data analysis revealed six binary pro-environmental actions: conforming/transforming action, compulsory/optional action, intentional/unintentional action, public/private sphere action, activist/non-activist action, and biospheric/anthropocentric-oriented action. The binary actions presented in this paper pull together all of the binary themes, both pre-existing ones and those emerging from the current study data. The paper provides recommendations about how one can contribute to environmental quality and positively impact the sustainable development agenda.

The Impact of Value-Belief-Norm Theory and Technology Acceptance Model on Use Intention of Green Design Packaging

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2020

This study mainly investigates the relationships among VBN value-belief-norm (environmental moral obligation), technology acceptance model (perceived ease-of-use, perceived usefulness), and the intention to use designing sustainable packaging. A questionnaire survey was administered to consumers in various areas of Taiwan, and the responses were analyzed using statistical methods. The study results indicated the following: 1. The significant and positive impacts existed among VBN value-belief-norm (environmental moral obligation), perceived ease-of-use, perceived usefulness, and the intention to use sustainable packaging, with the influence of biospheric value in VBN on the new environmental paradigm being the most significant. 2. The consumers with various age and marital status had a significantly different perception on their intention to use designing sustainable packaging; the consumers with various age and occupation had a significantly different perception on their norms (environmental moral obligation), and when consumers purchased products that require packaging, whether they chose packaging with recyclable or reusable marks and functions had a significantly different perception on their VBN value-belief-norm, perceived ease-of-use, perceived usefulness, and intention to use designing sustainable packaging. Based on the analysis results above, we put forward suggestions regarding the recycling and reuse of resources, sustainable development technologies, and the cherishing of the ecological value of nature from the perspectives of consumers, companies, and the government.

The Theory of Planned Behavior

Article

Full-text available

Dec 1991

Icek Ajzen

Research dealing with various aspects of* the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1985, 1987) is reviewed, and some unresolved issues are discussed. In broad terms, the theory is found to be well supported by empirical evidence. Intentions to perform behaviors of different kinds can be predicted with high accuracy from attitudes toward the behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control; and these intentions, together with perceptions of behavioral control, account for considerable variance in actual behavior. Attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control are shown to be related to appropriate sets of salient behavioral, normative, and control beliefs about the behavior, but the exact nature of these relations is still uncertain. Expectancy value formulations are found to be only partly successful in dealing with these relations. Optimal rescaling of expectancy and value measures is offered as a means of dealing with measurement limitations. Finally, inclusion of past behavior in the prediction equation is shown to provide a means of testing the theory*s sufficiency, another issue that remains unresolved. The limited available evidence concerning this question shows that the theory is predicting behavior quite well in comparison to the ceiling imposed by behavioral reliability.

Atlas de las Aves Reproductoras de España

Chapter

Full-text available

Jan 2003

Report of the NOAA panel on Contingent Valuation

Book

Full-text available

Jan 1993

How to conduct a proper contingent valuation study. Reccomendations

Should Preferences Count?

Article

Full-text available

May 1994

Mark Sagoff

As a normative discipline, welfare and therefore resource economics postulates that preferences should count in the allocation of resources. This postulate cannot be justified in relation to choice or to well-being. The normative qualities that attend choices-e.g., accountability, responsibility, commitment, and consent-explain why choices should count, but not preferences, which are not actions but theoretical entities constructed ad hoc from stipulated descriptions of behavior they are then said to explain. The satisfaction of preferences, moreover, has no demonstrable relation with any conception of welfare or well-being not simply defined in terms of it.

Attitude-behavior framework in contingent valuation of forest conservation /

Article

Full-text available

Eija Pouta

Abstrakti. Nimeke kannessa virheellisesti: Attitude-bahavior framework in contingent valuation of forest conservation. Diss. -- Helsingin yliopisto.

Atlas de las Aves Reproductoras de España

Article

Jan 2003

Measuring the Existence Value of Wildlife: Reply

Article

Aug 1993

The Theory of Planned Behavior in Predicting Willingness to Pay for Abatement of Forest Regeneration

Article

Feb 2001

This study examines willingness to pay (WTP) responses obtained through contingent valuation (CV) in the context of the theory of planned behavior. According to the theory of planned behavior, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control predict behavioral intention. Considering WTP as a behavioral intention, the article explains willingness to pay for abatement of forest regeneration using data from a community-level case study in southern Finland. Attitudes toward forest regeneration and toward supporting forest regeneration abatement policy were measured and used to predict WTP. Attitudes and perceived behavioral control predicted contingent valuation results significantly. The attitudes were regressed against beliefs concerning the good valued and the policy proposed to achieve the good; finally, the effect of the information on the beliefs, attitudes, and WTP was tested. As measured, the beliefs concerning forest regeneration predicted the attitude formation. However, the information provided in the questionnaires was not a significant factor in predicting these beliefs.

Biocentric Environmental Values and Support for the Ecological Restoration of Urban Watersheds

Article

Value Orientations, Gender, and Environmental Concern

Article

Sep 1993
ENVIRON BEHAV

A social-psychological model is developed to examine the proposition that environmentalism represents a new way of thinking. It presumes that action in support of environmental quality may derive from any of three value orientations: egoistic, social-altruistic, or biospheric, and that gender may be implicated in the relation between these orientations and behavior. Behavioral intentions are modeled as the sum across values of the strength of a value times the strength of beliefs about the consequences of environmental conditions for valued objects. Evidence from a survey of 349 college students shows that beliefs about consequences for each type of valued object independently predict willingness to take political action, but only beliefs about consequences for self reliably predict willingness to pay through taxes. This result is consistent with other recent findings from contingent valuation surveys. Women have stronger beliefs than men about consequences for self, others, and the biosphere, but there is no gender difference in the strength of value orientations.

The Effect of Respondent Characteristics on General Environmental Attitude-Behavior Correspondence

Article

Sep 1997
ENVIRON BEHAV

Five different environmental attitude scales were regressed on an 11-item self-reported general environmental behavior index derived from a confirmatory factor analysis. Correlations between each of the 5 attitude scales and the behavioral index were computed and a Fisher's Z-transformation was used to test for the effect of six respondent characteristics (gender, residence, education, income, age, and political orientation) on the attitude-behavior correlations. Although all of the five scales were significantly correlated with the behavioral index (p < .001), correlations for some attitude scales were highly affected by respondent characteristics. Of the 5 scales examined, the Environmental Concern (EC), New Environmental Paradigm (NEP), and Awareness of Consequences (AC) scales were associated most strongly with behavior, but the EC and NEP also were significantly affected by respondent characteristics. Implications for future studies and use of the scales are discussed.

Using Surveys to Value Public Goods: The Contingent Valuation Method

Article

Feb 1990

Foreword Preface 1. Valuing Public Goods Using the Contingent Valuation Method 2. Theoretical Basis of the Contingent Valuation Method 3. Benefits and Their Measurement 4. Variations in Contingent Valuation Scenario Designs 5. The Methodological Challenge 6. Will Respondents Answer Honestly? 7. Strategic Behavior and Contingent Valuation Studies 8. Can Respondents Answer Meaningfully? 9. Hypothetical Values and Contingent Valuation Studies 10. Enhancing Reliability 11. Measurement Bias

Ethics and Environmental Attitudes With Implications for Economic Valuation

Article

Aug 1997

Clive L. Spash

This paper tests the hypothesis that different ethical belief systems are unrelated to the attitude an individual takes towards the environment. More specifically, the neoclassical economic approach is seen to require a belief in utilitarianism while many individuals may operate on the basis of a deontological or rights-based approach to decision-making. The concern with this relationship arises from the use of the cost–benefit analysis approach to environmental policy and the specific application of the contingent valuation method. Evidence is found to support the view that environmentalists choose to operate on a rights-based approach which rejects the relative welfare arguments of economics and positively attributes compensation to future generations for environmental damages. This implies that the contingent valuation of environmental attributes will lead to values which are biased towards technocentric optimists and against the environmental movement. In terms of policy, environmental management on the basis of totalling economic values is liable to be undemocratic because of the systematic exclusion of a section of the general public.

The New Ecological Paradigm in Social-Psychological Context

Article

Nov 1995
ENVIRON BEHAV

The New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale is the most frequently used measure of environmental concern, but it has not been placed in the context of a social-psychological theory of attitude formation or attitude-behavior relationships. Using data from a northern Virginia sample, this study examines NEP in relation to the variables in a theoretical model of environmental concern. We found that the NEP is indistinguishable from a scale of awareness of consequences (AC) of general environmental conditions, both psychometrically and in terms of its relations to behavioral intentions, but somewhat different in its relations to basic value orientations and sociodemographic variables. We conclude that both NEP and AC measure generalized beliefs about the nature of human-environment interactions-or "folk ecology"—a set of beliefs that may be influenced by social structure and values and that influence attitudes, beliefs, and behavioral intentions regarding specific environmental conditions.

The Value Basis of Environmental Concern

Article

Apr 2010
J SOC ISSUES

This article describes and presents initial empirical tests of a theory that links values, beliefs, attitudes, and behavior within a preference construction framework that emphasizes the activation of personal environmental norms. Environmental concern is related to egoistic, social-altruistic, and biospheric value orientations and also to beliefs about the consequences of environmental changes for valued objects. Two studies generally support the hypothesized relationships and demonstrate links to the broader theory of values. However, the biospheric value orientation postulated in the theoretical literature on environmentalism does not differentiate from social-altruism in a general population sample. Results are discussed in terms of value change, the role of social structural factors (including gender) in environmentalism, theories of risk perception, and the mobilization strategies of social movements, including environmental justice movements.

Measuring the Existence Value of Wildlife: What Do CVM Estimates Really Show?

Article

Nov 1991

The increased use of benefit-cost analysis in environmental management decisions has stimulated considerable debate about wildlife valuation. One result is that wildlife are now thought to produce two types of economic value; "use values' derived from hunting, fishing, and viewing; and existence values accruing to both users and to those not actually "using' wildlife but who, nevertheless, have an interest in it. A fundamental problem is that many contingent valuation method (CVM) respondents may be unable or unwilling to give meaningful answers to questions about the value of wildlife. This study examines the validity of the CVM for estimating the existence value of four wildlife species recently introduced or reintroduced to New England: the bald eagle, Atlantic salmon, wild turkey, and coyote. Although the results are consistent with those obtained in previous studies, many respondents expressed moral beliefs and concerns about wildlife which raises several questions about the appropriate role of monetary existence value estimates in benefit-cost analysis. -from Authors

Respondents to contingent valuation surveys: Consumers or citizens?

Article

Jan 1995
AUST J AGR RESOUR EC

Attitude and belief questions as a source of context effect in a contingent valuation survey

Article

Apr 2004
J ECON PSYCHOL

Eija Pouta

In the present study, we analyse how and to what extent attitude and belief items included in the same mail survey as contingent valuation influence the responses given to a subsequent willingness-to-pay (WTP) question. In contingent valuation studies, attitudes and beliefs have been used to interpret the WTP. In the process of pondering and expressing their beliefs and attitudes concerning the attitude object, respondents may also construct their preferences vis-à-vis the environmental good. Here, we report the results of a test concerning the effect of attitude and belief questions on the item response rate of the WTP question and on WTP itself. In the logit model of dichotomous choice, the inclusion of attitude and belief items increased the probability of choosing the environmentally oriented alternative. In the model, interaction between inclusion of attitude and belief items and the bid was significant. When attitude and belief items were included, respondents were not sensitive to the expenses that the environmental good entailed for their household.

Willingness to Pay or Intention to Pay: The Attitude-Behavior Relationship in Contingent Valuation

Article

Feb 1998
J Soc Econ

Increased awareness of factors influencing the environment suggests it is reasonable to assume that salient environmental attitudes exist and influence behavior. Appropriate elicitation of environmental attitudes for inclusion in nonmarket valuation models may improve the descriptive and predictive ability of these models, especially in the case of contingent valuation studies eliciting willingness-to-pay values. This study identifies an appropriate conceptual model of the attitude-behavior relationship that is conceptually consistent with the process of contingent valuation. Using primary data collected from a survey of rural residents, willingness-to-pay to accept changes in individual and state level water quality is estimated with and without attitudinal explanatory factors. In both models, attitudinal variables are significant explanatory factors, enhancing the explanatory and predictive power of the estimations.

Informing and Forming Preferences in Environmental Valuation: Coral Reef Biodiversity

Article

Oct 2002
J ECON PSYCHOL

Clive L. Spash

The level and depth of information provision required for making informed judgements over environmental options has remained troublesome in various contexts from individual choice through to international policy. In the valuation literature concern has been expressed for ‘information bias’ leading to distorted estimates of the worth of environmental entities (e.g. wildlife, ecosystems) because peoples intentions are formed during the valuation process by the information provided. Contending psychological models on the role of information and its relationship to ethical concerns are reviewed with respect to public decision processes over environmental entities. The robustness of pre-existing environmental preferences is then linked to ethical positions but their role is unclear. Empirical evidence is reported from a contingent valuation method study of coral reef biodiversity on the strong connections between informing and forming preferences and specific ethical beliefs regarding environmental entities.

Ecosystems, contingent valuation and ethics: The case of wetland re-creation

Article

Aug 2000
ECOL ECON

Clive L. Spash

This paper addresses a current issue in environmental valuation, namely, the extent to which environmental preferences depart from the usual economic paradigm to incorporate some lexicographic elements. After a theoretical discussion the paper reviews attempts to explore this question empirically by supplementing contingent valuation analyses with an exploration of the motives behind willingness-to-pay responses, including zero bids and refusals to answer. This is followed by the presentation of new evidence investigating respondents willingness to pay for the creation of a wetland taken from 713 personal interviews of the British public.

Preferences, Information and Biodiversity Preservation

Article

Feb 1995
ECOL ECON

This paper considers the nature of preferences for the preservation of biodiversity, and the extent to which individuals are well-informed about biodiversity. We present evidence that the elicitation of monetary bids to pay for biodiversity preservation, as required for cost-benefit analysis, fails as a measure of welfare changes due to the prevalence of preferences which neoclassical economics defines as lexicographic. That is, a significant proportion of individuals refuse to make trade-offs which require the substitution of biodiversity for other goods. In addition, we show that understanding of the biodiversity concept is extremely limited, raising concerns over a reliance on stated preferences, as revealed in contingent valuation studies, for decision-making on this issue. Results from two samples (students and the general public) are described.

The structure of motivation for contingent values: A case study of lake water quality improvement

Article

Feb 2004
ECOL ECON

Critics of the contingent valuation (CV) method have argued that individuals apply “noneconomic” motives in responding to CV questions, implying that elicited values are not valid measures of the economic benefit of environmental improvement. This study examines the role of such motives by using measures of attitude and motive strength to interpret willingness-to-pay (WTP) values for a set of nested environmental goods with potential use and nonuse benefits. Motivational structure is found to be more complex than suggested by the simple distinction between valid economic–theoretic and “noneconomic” motives. Social motivations possibly associated with the benefit of contributing to a public good rather than the benefits of the good itself are potentially relevant to the WTP decision but do not give rise to separable values. The strength of perceived personal responsibility for provision of the good is significantly associated with WTP but also with the theoretically desirable property of enhanced scope sensitivity. WTP is not found to be associated with the extent to which the individual feels under some general moral obligation to contribute to “good causes”. Motives arising from ethical concerns for the environment and altruism are also potentially relevant to WTP but are closely related to underlying motives associated with existence and personal use values, respectively. It is suggested that the CV debate should be informed by further empirical investigation of the extent to which motives for WTP can be treated as separable.

The influence of ethical attitudes on the demand for environmental recreation: Incorporating lexicographic preferences

Article

Apr 2005
ECOL ECON

This article examines the relationships between different ethical attitudes toward environmental quality and the ‘use’ values obtained from the environment. In particular, we consider individuals who have duty-based ethical attitudes that lead to lexicographic preferences for environmental quality. We show that individuals with duty-based ethical attitudes have recreation demand functions that are ‘kinked,’ exhibiting perfectly inelastic behavior over some range of income. However, the kinks cannot be identified from typical cross-sectional data, and to the extent that observed recreation demand for these individuals differs from those with neoclassical preferences, such differences could be captured empirically through a proxy variable that measures ethical attitudes. A more fundamental issue is that changes in welfare for duty-based individuals cannot be determined from their estimated demand function: while an exogenous rise in environmental quality is likely to increase the demand for recreation by these individuals, additional recreation is not the reason for an improvement in well-being. An empirical model to identify the effect of ethical attitudes on recreation is illustrated using survey data on stated preferences for visits to urban parks.

Non-Economic Motivation for Contingent Values: Rights and Attitudinal Beliefs in the Willingness To Pay for Environmental Improvements

Article

Feb 2006

Clive L. Spash

This paper reports on a national CVM survey administered in combination with a psychometric scale on pro-social environmental attitudes to test for non-economic motivations for WTP. The multi-item scale measures biospheric, altruistic, and egoistic motives, and analyzes their association with rights-based (deontological) and consequential (utilitarian) ethics. I test hypotheses concerning the existence of distinct value orientations, and the relationships between attitudes, ethics, protest bids, and WTP. Contrary to some recent claims based upon convenience samples, environmental attitudes are found to be significant in explaining intended WTP; this is associated with an egoistic motive and rights-based, rather than consequential, beliefs.

Respondents to Contingent Valuation Surveys: Consumer or Citizens

Article

Feb 1995

The fundamental assumption of the contingent valuation method (CYM) is that responses to CY questionnaires may be interpreted as expressions of consumer preferences. The consumer preference interpretation has been challenged in recent papers arguing that willingness to pay for wildlife preservation is generated, at least in part, by ethical concerns, rather than by a view that wildlife preservation will yield any benefit to individual respondents. Some further evidence bearing upon these questions is derived from a study of forest management in Australia undertaken by the Resource Assessment Commission (RAC). The evidence supports the interpretation that respondents are acting primarily as citizens.

The Importance of Ethics in Environmental Economics with a Focus on Existence Values

Article

Feb 1998

Olof Johansson-Stenman

The importance of ethics and fundamental value judgments in environmental economics is high-lighted by discussing the controversial concept of existence values. The social value depends crucially on the social objective, which is not necessarily self-evident, e.g., since some individuals tend to value nature intrinsically. It is shown that the motives behind willingness to pay figures matter for the social value, and the conventional view that people respond to CV questions solely in order to maximize their own utility or well-being is questioned. The importance of being explicit about value judgments is emphasized, and it is argued that environmental economics should consider non-conventional assumptions which take the social context into account to a larger degree. Copyright Kluwer Academic Publishers 1998

Measuring dispositions for lexicographic preferences of environmental goods: Integrating economics, psychology and ethics

Article

Feb 2003
ECOL ECON

This paper combines the psychometric methods of paired comparisons (PC) and environmental disposition measurement to assist in identifying lexicographic behavior in choice experiments. Our methodology obtains complete preference profiles of all elements in the choice set and measures of attitudinal dispositions, including an environmental ethics (EE) disposition, for all respondents. The methodology is applied across two treatments that differ only on the range of the dollar magnitudes—Treatment A ranges from $10 to $700 (USD) and Treatment B ranges from $10 to $9000 (USD). Dispositions of pastoralism (PA), antiquarianism and environmental ethicism tend to correlate positively with increasing preferences for environmental goods, while the disposition of environmental adaptation (EA) negatively correlates with preferences for environmental goods. The marginal effects of environmental dispositions are largest for respondents who do not value environmental goods highly (low valuers) and those who potentially value the goods lexicographically. The results demonstrate that information regarding our sample's attitudinal dispositions toward the environment may enable the differentiation of high valuers from lexicographic valuers of environmental goods.

Environmental attitudes, motivations, and contingent valuation of nonuse values: A case study involving endangered species

Article

Jan 2000
ECOL ECON

This study introduces a prototype model for evaluating policies to abate agricultural nutrients in the Baltic Sea from a Finnish national point of view. The stochastic simulation model integrates nutrient dynamics of nitrogen and phosphorus in the sea basins adjoining the Finnish coast, nutrient loads from land and other sources, benefits from nutrient abatement (in the form of recreation and other ecosystem services) and the costs of agricultural abatement activities. The aim of this study is to present the overall structure of the model and to demonstrate its potential using preliminary parameters. The model is made flexible for further improvements in all of its ecological and economic components. Results of a sensitivity analysis suggest that investments in reducing the nutrient runoff from arable land in Finland would become profitable only if Finland’s neighbors in the northern Baltic committed themselves to similar reductions. Environmental investments for improving water quality yield the highest returns for the Bothnian Bay and the Gulf of Finland, and smaller returns for the Bothnian Sea. In the Bothnian Bay, the abatement activities become profitable because the riverine loads from Finland represent a high proportion of the total nutrient loads. In the Gulf of Finland, this proportion is low, but the size of the coastal population benefiting from improved water quality is high.

Risk Based Watershed Management, Integration of Water Quality and Flood Control Objectives, Final Report

Jan 2001

V Novotny
D Clark
R Griffin
A Bartosova
D Booth
R Anderson

Novotny, V., Clark, D., Griffin, R., Bartosova, A., Booth, D., Anderson, R., 2001. Risk Based Watershed Management, Integration of Water Quality and Flood Control Objectives, Final Report. Center for Urban Environmental Studies, Northeastern University Boston.

Attitude–behavior framework on contingent valuation of forest conservation Academic Dissertation, University of Hesinki. effect in a contingent valuation survey

Jan 2003
229-242

E Pouta

Pouta, E., 2003. Attitude–behavior framework on contingent valuation of forest conservation. Academic Dissertation, University of Hesinki. effect in a contingent valuation survey. Journal of Economic Psychology 25, 229–242.

The new environmental paradigm: a proposed measuring instrument and preliminary results

Jan 1978
10

Dunlap

Dunlap, E.E., Van Liere, K.D., 1978. The new environmental paradigm: a proposed measuring instrument and preliminary results. Journal of Environmental Education 9, 10–19.

Moral decision making and behavior Altruism and Helping Behavior

Jan 1970

S H Schwartz

Schwartz, S.H., 1970. Moral decision making and behavior. In: Macauley, L., Berkowitz, L. (Eds.), Altruism and Helping Behavior. New York Academic Press (in Stern, Dietz & Guagnano, 1995).

0 0 7 ) X X X – X X X ARTICLE IN PRESS Please cite this article as Altruistic, egoistic and biospheric values in willingness to pay (WTP) for wildlife

Jan 2007

C O L O G I C A L E C O N O M I C S X X Ojea
E Loureiro

C O L O G I C A L E C O N O M I C S X X ( 2 0 0 7 ) X X X – X X X ARTICLE IN PRESS Please cite this article as: Ojea, E., Loureiro, M.L. Altruistic, egoistic and biospheric values in willingness to pay (WTP) for wildlife. Ecological Economics (2007), doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2007.02.003

Moral decision making and behavior

Jan 1970

Schwartz

Altruistic, egoistic and biospheric values in willingness to pay (WTP) for wildlife

Abstract

No full-text available

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