Abstract
Efforts to explain environmental concern as a function of social structure have revealed some weak but reliable associations. Stronger associations have been found between environmental concern and social psychological variables including attitudes, beliefs, and worldviews. The authors used the 1993 General Social Survey to explore a conceptual framework that postulates four causal levels: social structural factors and early socialization experiences; general worldview and ideology about humanity and the environment; specific attitudes, beliefs, and cognitions about environmental issues; and environmentally relevant behavior. Each class of variable has explanatory power beyond that given by other classes of variables, with the social psychological variables generally adding more explanatory power than the structural variables. The patterns are different, however, for the five behavioral indicators. Efforts to explain the structural influences as indirect, operating through the social psychological variables, were mainly unsuccessful.
Keywords
Explanatory powerSocializationSocial psychologyPsychologyStructural equation modelingIdeologyCausal modelSocial environmentExplanatory modelGeneral Social SurveyVariable (mathematics)SociologySocial sciencePoliticsPolitical science
Affiliated Institutions
Related Publications
Calculating statistical power in Mendelian randomization studies
In Mendelian randomization (MR) studies, where genetic variants are used as proxy measures for an exposure trait of interest, obtaining adequate statistical power is frequently ...
Problem Behavior and Psychosocial Development: A Longitudinal Study of Youth
This study is the 2nd phase of a long-term program of research on problem behavior. The approach to theory testing involves a longitudinal design. The study plots trajectories...
Predictors of physical activity intentions and behaviour for rural homemakers.
This research combined social psychological theory testing with the practical concern of gathering information useful for the social marketing of active living. The study examin...
Self-generated validity and other effects of measurement on belief, attitude, intention, and behavior.
Drawing from recent developments in social cognition, cognitive psychology, and behavioral decision theory, we analyzed when and how the act of measuring beliefs, attitudes, int...
Using national survey data incorporating the theory of planned behavior: Implications for social marketing strategies in physical activity
Abstract This paper illustratesthe potential use of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as a guiding fiamework for the conduct of population based survey research to develop st...
Publication Info
- Year
- 1998
- Type
- article
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 450-471
- Citations
- 1021
- Access
- Closed
External Links
Social Impact
Altmetric
PlumX Metrics
Social media, news, blog, policy document mentions
Citation Metrics
1021
OpenAlex
Cite This
Thomas Dietz,
Paul C. Stern,
Gregory A. Guagnano
(1998).
Social Structural and Social Psychological Bases of Environmental Concern.
Environment and Behavior
, 30
(4)
, 450-471.
https://doi.org/10.1177/001391659803000402
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1177/001391659803000402