The relationship of environmental concern with public and private pro‐environmental behaviours: A pre‐registered meta‐analysis. (11th October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lou, Xiaobin; Li, Liman Man Wai
• Is Part Of: European journal of social psychology. Volume 53:Number 1(2023)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 14
• Publication Date: 2022-10-11
• Subjects: environmental behaviour -- environmental concern -- new environmental paradigm -- private pro‐environmental behaviour -- public pro‐environmental behaviour; Social psychology -- Periodicals; 302
• DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2879
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0046-2772

Abstract

Abstract: Previous meta‐analyses identified a gap between environmental concern and pro‐environmental behaviours. However, the failure to differentiate these behaviours and the influence of contextual factors may limit understanding of the gap. This pre‐registered meta‐analysis evaluated the magnitudes of the correlations of environmental concern, as measured by the New Environmental Paradigm of thinking, with public and private pro‐environmental behaviours and investigated the moderating roles of sociocultural contexts. Environmental concern was found positively correlated with public pro‐environmental behaviour ( k = 10, N = 4636; r = 0.27) and private pro‐environmental behaviour ( k = 31, N = 20, 907; r = 0.35). These two pooled correlations did not differ significantly. Institutionalization of environmental protection did not moderate these correlations, while cultural factors, including individualism, long‐term orientation, and external control, did. These findings maintain the utility of environmental concern in facilitating different pro‐environmental behaviours and highlight the lack of research attention on public pro‐environmental behaviour.