Twenty years after Hines, Hungerford, and Tomera: A new meta-analysis of psycho-social determinants of pro-environmental behaviour

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2006.12.002Get rights and content

Abstract

The goal of the present paper is a replication as well as an extension of the Hines et al. [(1986/87). Analysis and synthesis of research on responsible environmental behaviour: A meta-analysis. Journal of Environmental Education, 18, 1–8] meta-analysis on psycho-social determinants of pro-environmental behaviour. Based on information from a total of 57 samples the present meta-analysis finds mean correlations between psycho-social variables and pro-environmental behaviour similar to those reported by Hines et al. In a second step, the matrix of pooled correlations is used for a structural equation modelling (SEM) test of theoretically postulated structural relations between eight determinants of pro-environmental behaviour (so-called Meta-analytic SEM (MASEM)). MASEM results confirm that pro-environmental behavioural intention mediate the impact of all other psycho-social variables on pro-environmental behaviour (27% explained variance). Results also confirm that besides attitude and behavioural control personal moral norm is a third predictor of pro-environmental behavioural intention (52% explained variance). The MASEM also indicates that problem awareness is an important but indirect determinant of pro-environmental intention. Its impact seems to be mediated by moral and social norms, guilt and attribution processes.

Introduction

It is now 20 years ago that Hines, Hungerford, and Tomera (1986/87) published their meta-analysis of research on responsible environmental behaviour. The goal of this analysis was not only to identify variables reliably associated with pro-environmental behaviour, but also to determine quantitatively the strengths of these relationships. This was the reason why Hines et al. use the quantitative meta-analysis approach for research synthesis. The literature search conducted by Hines et al. resulted in a list of 128 primary studies which assessed variables in association with pro-environmental behaviour and reported the information needed for including them in a meta-analysis. A great share of these 128 studies concentrates on the relation between pro-environmental behaviour and socio-structural variables. However, a small number of these studies (Hines et al. do not report the exact number) analyse the association between the four psycho-social variables attitude, locus of control/self-efficacy, moral responsibility, behavioural intention and pro-environmental behaviour.

The meta-analytical results of Hines et al. concerning the average bivariate association of these four psycho-social variables with pro-environmental behaviour provide the starting point of the present research: Based on 9 studies Hines et al. found a mean correlation between pro-environmental attitudes and pro-environmental behaviour of r=.38, between locus of control/self-efficacy and pro-environmental behaviour of r=.37 (15 studies); between the felt moral obligation to behave in a pro-environmental way and pro-environmental behaviour of r=.33 (6 studies), and between pro-environmental behavioural intention and pro-environmental behaviour of r=.49 (6 studies).

Against the background of their meta-analytical results, Hines et al. (1986/87) proposed a model of environmental behaviour which views the intention to act and objective situational factor as direct determinants of pro-environmental behaviour. Intention itself is viewed as summarising the interplay of cognitive (action skills, knowledge of action strategies and issues) as well as personality variables (attitudes, locus of control, and personal responsibility).

In the following decade, the meta-analysis conducted by Hines et al. exerted a strong impact on the further research on psycho-social determinants of pro-environmental behaviour. Using modern statistical methods for synthesising results of a body of primary studies it provided convincing empirical evidence for the utility of psycho-social variables as predictors of pro-environmental behaviour. This finding encouraged many researchers to continue their research on psycho-social determinants of pro-environmental behaviours.

Section snippets

The present research

It is astonishing that despite the impact of this first meta-analysis to the best of our knowledge no further meta-analyses of research on pro-environmental behaviour have been published since 1986. Lack of new research cannot be the reason for this gap. Since the work of Hines et al. a steady stream of primary studies analysing determinants of pro-environmental behaviour has been published. A meta-analysis of these more recent studies is urgently needed, not only because of the long time that

The theoretical model

Pro-environmental behaviour is probably best viewed as a mixture of self-interest (e.g., to pursue a strategy that minimises one's own health risk) and of concern for other people, the next generation, other species, or whole eco-systems (e.g., preventing air pollution that may cause risks for others’ health and/or the global climate). This mixture of self-interest and pro-social motives is also reflected by the theoretical models most frequently applied for explaining pro-environmental

Data collection

As it was our goal to conduct a meta-analytical test of the above-described integrative theoretical model, we primarily searched for studies applying the NAM, TPB or similar models to pro-environmental behaviour and that were published in peer-reviewed journals. Because the TPB as well as the NAM provides clear definitions and operationalisations of the theoretical constructs we are interested in, researchers applying these frameworks should use similar items for measuring the respective

Results

Table 1 presents the information (number of available independent primary bivariate correlation coefficients and the pooled total sample size on which these coefficients are based) extracted from the 57 samples included in our meta-analysis. Table 1 impressively demonstrates the above mentioned missing values problem one is often confronted with when conducting an MASEM analysis. Because our proposed integrated theoretical model contains 9 variables, 36 pooled mean correlations are necessary

Discussion and conclusion

The goal of the present paper is a replication as well as an extension of the meta-analysis on psycho-social determinants of pro-environmental behaviours published 20 years ago by Hines et al. Extension means that the aim was not only to report a matrix of pooled bivariate correlations but to use these correlations for an MASEM test of the postulated integrated model of psycho-social determinants of pro-environmental behaviour. Such a theory-driven multivariate meta-analytical approach reflects

References (37)

  • C.B. Begg

    Publication Bias

  • H.-W. Bierhoff

    Pro-social behaviour

    (2002)
  • J.S. Black et al.

    Personal and contextual influences on household energy adaptations

    Journal of Applied Psychology

    (1985)
  • M.W.-L. Cheung et al.

    Meta-analytic structural equation modeling: A two-stage approach

    Psychological Methods

    (2005)
  • Cheung, S. F. (2000). Examining solutions to two practical issues in meta-analysis: Dependent correlations and missing...
  • P.-Y. Chu et al.

    Factors influencing household waste recycling behaviour: Test of an integrated model

    Journal of Applied Social Psychology

    (2003)
  • P.M. Gollwitzer

    Implementation intentions: Strong effects of simple plans

    American Psychologist

    (1999)
  • G.A. Guagnano et al.

    Influences on attitude–behaviour relationships: A natural experiment with curbside recycling

    Environment and Behaviour

    (1995)
  • Cited by (2437)

    • Willingness to pay extra for electric cars with sustainably produced batteries

      2024, Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment
    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text