Values and pro-environmental behavior: The role of materialistic and environmental values in predicting daily pro-environmental behavior and ethical consumption among young Icelanders

• Main Author: Soffía Svanhildar Felixdóttir 1989-
• Other Authors: Háskóli Íslands
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: Umhverfisfræði; Auðlindafræði; Neyslusiðfræði; Umhverfismál; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1946/27699

The thesis consists of two parts. Part A is a literature review and Part B is a research report, presented in a form of a journal article. In the literature review section material consumption and pro-environmental behavior is discussed in addition to values and attitudes. The relationship between materialistic values and environmental values and pro-environmental behavior is furthermore discussed. The research report is based on a questionnaire study among Icelandic students, from 14 colleges and the University of Iceland (N=367). The research report examines the possible relationship between values and daily pro-environmental behavior and ethical consumption. More specifically it examines whether materialistic values can further increase the understanding of various pro-environmental behavior, beyond environmental values. It has for long been known that environmental values are a rather stable predictor of pro-environmental behavior but less is known about the effects of materialistic values beyond that. Results of the present study supported the hypotheses that environmental values are a positive predictor of pro-environmental behavior and that materialistic values are a negative predictor of pro-environmental behavior, even after controlling for environmental values, indicating that materialistic values add to the understanding of pro-environmental behavior. Thus, when encouraging individuals to engage in more environmentally friendly actions focusing solely on increasing their environmental values might have limited effects. It seems to be equally important to tackle materialistic value orientation. Those results have some policy and educational implications that are discussed. Ritgerðin samanstendur af tveimur hlutum. Í hluta A er fræðileg umfjöllun um efnið og hluti B er rannsóknarskýrsla. Í fræðilegu umfjölluninni er fjallað um neyslu, neysluhegðun, umhverfishegðun, gildi og viðhorf. Ennfremur er fjallað um tengsl efnishygginna gilda og umhverfisgilda við umhverfishegðun. Rannsóknarskýrslan bygir á ...