Analysis of the Predictors of Environmentally Sensitive Behavior
International Journal of Data Analysis and Information Systems, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 55-67, 2012
13 Pages Posted: 13 Oct 2012
Date Written: January 12, 2012
Abstract
This article investigates factors influencing environmentally sensitive behavior of individuals by empirically testing the effects of their socioeconomic status, gender, age, environmental values, and willingness to protect the environment. Theoretically guided hypotheses were formulated and tested with multiple linear regression models by employing a dataset from the NORC 2010 General Social Survey (GSS). Empirical results conclude that while socioeconomic status and age significantly (and inversely) influence environmental values, gender differences indicate no significant effect. Results also confirm that environmental values lead to willingness to protect the environment (WPE), and show a positive relationship between WPE and environmentally sensitive behavior (ESB). These results contribute to untangling the confusing research evidence on the effects of socio-economic status, age, and gender on environmental values, by introducing a multi-layered model with environmental values and attitudes as mediating factors.
Keywords: Environmentally Sensitive Behavior, Socioeconomic Status, Age, Gender, Environmental Values
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