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Journal ArticleDOI

The value of environmental self-identity: The relationship between biospheric values, environmental self-identity and environmental preferences, intentions and behaviour

01 Jun 2013-Journal of Environmental Psychology (ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD)-Vol. 34, pp 55-63
TL;DR: This article found that the relationship between biospheric values and environmental preferences, intentions, and behaviour was fully mediated by environmental self-identity, indicating that the relationships between values need to be linked to the self in order to be influential in choices made.
About: This article is published in Journal of Environmental Psychology.The article was published on 2013-06-01 and is currently open access. It has received 472 citations till now.

Summary (6 min read)

1. Introduction

  • Self-identity and values have been viewed as important influences on environmental preferences, intentions and behaviour (e.g., Gatersleben, Murtagh, & Abrahamse, 2012; Sparks & Shepherd, 1992; Steg & De Groot, 2012).
  • Self-identity is often defined as the label that one uses to describe oneself (Cook, Kerr, & Moore, 2002).
  • Various scholars suggested that there is a relationship between values and self-identity.
  • Additionally, the authors will describe how biospheric values and environmental self-identity in turn are related to preferences, intentions and behaviours in the environmental domain.

1.1. Biospheric values

  • Values have been defined by Schwartz (1992) as desirable and transsituational goals that serve as guiding principles in one’s life.
  • Values are abstract and general and maintain stability over time (Feather, 1995).
  • Studies showed that particularly biospheric values are strongly and consistently related to environmental preferences, intentions, and behaviour: those with strong biospheric values are more likely to have pro-environmental preferences and intentions, and to act pro-environmentally (see Steg & De Groot, 2012, for a review).
  • Values reflect what people find important in their lives and should as such affect how people want to see themselves (i.e., their ideal selves) and what type of person they want to be, as well as how they actually see themselves.
  • In other words, values should influence one’s self-identity.

1.2. Environmental self-identity

  • Self-identity has been defined as the label used to describe oneself (Cook et al., 2002), which relates to a particular behaviour (Conner & Armitage, 1998).
  • You may see yourself as part of nature, but not as a personwho acts proenvironmentally, for example because you do not acknowledge environmental problems, or do not link such problems to individual actions.
  • These studies revealed that specific self-identities indeed predicted the relevant behaviours.
  • Such general environmental self-identities may be promising pointers for strategies aimed at promoting pro-environmental actions, because by targeting environmental self-identity, a range of preferences and behaviours may change simultaneously.

1.3. Differences between biospheric values and environmental selfidentity

  • There is a conceptual difference between values and selfidentity: values are general and abstract principles that you strive for in life, while self-identity reflects how you see yourself.
  • As the authors will explain below, they may not always be consistent.
  • The fact that you strive for unity with nature does not necessarily mean that you see yourself as the type of person who acts environmentally-friendly.
  • Hence, in theory, someone can thus have strong biospheric values, but not a strong environmental self-identity as this identity also depends on the extent to which you actually engage in pro-environmental actions.
  • A possible explanation for such apparent inconsistencies may be that one believes technological solutions will solve environmental problems rather than pro-environmental actions, or that others should take responsibility to reduce these problems (such as industry or the government).

1.4. Relationship between biospheric values and environmental self-identity

  • As indicated above, even though biospheric values and environmental self-identity may not always be consistent, they are likely to be related.
  • 2 Meat consumption reflects indirect energy use.
  • There is some initial evidence to suggest that values influence self-identity.
  • The authors predict that environmental self-identity mediates the relationship between biospheric values and environmental preferences, intentions and behaviour.
  • A study byWhitmarsh and O’Neill (2010) provides some preliminary support for their reasoning.

2.1. Hypotheses

  • In the present research the authors examined the relationship between biospheric values, environmental self-identity and environmental preferences, intentions and behaviour in a series of studies.
  • Based on the above, the authors put forward three hypotheses.
  • Second, the authors expected that biospheric values are related to environmental self-identity, as environmental self-identity is partly derived from values, with values being the stable core of environmental self-identity (Hypothesis 2a).
  • If this is true, biospheric values should predict environmental self-identity even when values are measured a few months earlier (Hypothesis 2b).
  • Third, the authors expected that one’s environmental self-identity in turn is related to preferences, intentions and behaviour, and that environmental self-identity mediates the relationship between values and the dependent variables.

2.2. Analyses

  • To test their hypotheses, the authors first conducted a confirmatory factor analysis via the multiple group method (a simple and effective type of confirmatory factor analysis, e.g., Nunnally, 1978; Stuive, 2007; Stuive, Kiers, Timmerman, & Ten Berge, 2008) to test if biospheric values and environmental self-identity can be distinguished empirically.
  • Second, the authors tested the relationship between biospheric values and environmental self-identity (Hypotheses 2a and 2b).
  • Third, the authors examined the relationship between biospheric values and environmental self-identity, and the dependent variables (environmental preferences, intentions, and behaviours) respectively, and whether the relationships between biospheric values and the dependent variables (environmental preferences, intentions, and behaviours) significantly reduced when environmental self-identity was controlled for; for this purpose, they report bootstrapping confidence intervals (Hypothesis 3).

3. Study 1

  • Study 1 aimed to examine factors influencing energy use.
  • Energy use is a major contributor to environmental problems (Dietz, Gardner, Gilligan, Stern, & Vandenbergh, 2009).
  • The authors selected energy-related behaviour from three different domains, namely transport (driving style), home energy use (showering time) and food consumption (meat consumption2).
  • In addition, the authors measured respondents’ general intention to reduce their overall energy consumption.
  • Also, the authors studied if the relationship between biospheric values and the dependent variables was mediated by energy-saving self-identity (Hypothesis 3).

3.1.1. Participants and procedure

  • The questionnaire was completed by 468 respondents (a response rate of 54%).
  • In total 229 females and 233 males participated in the study, 6 participants did not indicate their gender.
  • About 18% of the respondents did not complete any education or completed primary education or vocational secondary school, while 38% had completed the highest level of secondary school or vocational education, and 45% finished university.

3.1.2. Measures

  • Participants first filled in a brief value questionnaire measuring their altruistic, egoistic, biospheric and hedonic values (Steg, Perlaviciute, Van der Werff, & Lurvink, 2012).
  • Energy-saving self-identity was measured with three items (Saving energy is an important part of who I am; I am the type of person who saves energy; I see myself as a person who saves energy), on a seven point scale ranging from totally disagree to totally agree.
  • Respondents were asked to provide factual data on their behaviours whenever possible, to prevent socially desirable answers (cf. Gatersleben, Steg, & Vlek, 2002).
  • Meat consumption was measured by asking respondents how many times per week they consume meat at their main meal of the day, and how many grams of meat they as a person eat on average when they have a meal with meat (see Staats, Harland, & Wilke, 2004).
  • Similarly, showering time was measured by asking respondents how many times they take a shower per week, and how many minutes they shower each time on average.

3.2. Results

  • The authors used the multiple group method (MGM) to test if biospheric values and energy-saving self-identity can not only be theoretically distinguished, but also empirically.
  • Next, the authors correlated all single items with the scale scores, after correcting for self-correlation (that is, the fact that items tend to correlate strongly with the scale to which they belong on theoretical grounds).
  • Indeed, biospheric values and energy-saving self-identity were both significantly related to all energy-related actions as well as to the intention to save energy (see Table 2).
  • The relationship between biospheric values and meat consumptionwas fully mediated by energy-saving self-identity, the bias-corrected bootstrap estimate of the indirect effect had a 95% confidence interval from 58.596 to 24.054, indicating that energy-saving self-identity significantly reduced the strength of the relationship between biospheric values and meat consumption.
  • The biascorrected bootstrap estimate of the indirect effect had a 95% confidence interval from 3.157 to .607.

3.3. Discussion

  • The MGM supported their first hypothesis: energy-saving selfidentity could empirically be distinguished from biospheric values.
  • In addition, Study 1 provided support for their second hypothesis: energy-saving self-identity was stronger when biospheric values were strong.
  • If identity mediates the relationship between values and preferences, intentions and behaviour the authors should be able to replicate their findings when they focus on a different measure of identity, in this case environmental self-identity.
  • By reducing peak demand the efficiency of the system can be increased, because less energy needs to be generated to meet peak demand.

4. Study 2

  • Also, to further examine the validity and robustness of their findings, the authors included different dependent variables.
  • If peoplewould usemore renewable energy sources instead of oil, gas or coal, CO2 emissions could be significantly reduced.
  • To test if environmental self-identity is related to a range of preferences and intentions the authors included different types of preferences and intentions related to the use of green energy, including the importance of generating green energy, willingness to paymore for green energy, intentions to switch to green energy, and willingness to reduce energy use when renewables would be used.
  • The authors first tested whether biospheric values and environmental self-identity can be distinguished empirically.
  • Third, the authors examined whether environmental selfidentity mediated the relationship between values and preferences and intentions (Hypothesis 3).

4.1.1. Participants and procedure

  • Datawere collected via an online questionnaire among a sample of the Dutch population.
  • Participants were members of the panel of thesistools.com, and received a small reimbursement for their participation (less than 1 Euro).
  • The questionnaire was online for 14 days in November 2010.
  • The average net income of the sample was 2700 Euros per month, which is similar to the average Dutch household income of 2783 Euros (CBS, 2010).
  • About 16% of the respondents did not complete any education, or completed primary education or vocational secondary school, 46% had completed the highest level of secondary school or a vocational education and 37% finished university.

4.1.2. Measures

  • Note that the items were similar to the items in Study 1, only now they were focused on general environmental behaviour instead of saving energy.
  • Respondents rated each item on a seven point scale, ranging from totally disagree to totally agree.
  • Second, respondents indicated to what extent they are willing to pay more for green energy, on a seven point scale ranging from 1 e not willing at all to 7 e very willing (M¼ 3.93, SD¼ 1.90).

4.2. Results

  • Table 3 shows that environmental self-identity could again be distinguished empirically from biospheric values, providing further support for Hypothesis 1.
  • Biospheric values and environmental self-identity were both significantly related to all dependent variables (see Table 4).
  • The relationship between biospheric values and the importance of generating green energy became non-significant (b¼ .15, p¼ .13) when environmental self-identity was included in the regression analysis as well (b ¼ .39, p < .001).
  • Also, environmental self-identity fully mediated the relationship between biospheric values and willingness to reduce energy use if the energy is green.
  • The bias-corrected bootstrap estimate of the indirect effect had a 95% confidence interval from .191 to .647.

4.3. Discussion

  • Even though Study 2 focused on environmental self-identity, the broadest category of identities in the environmental domain, Hypothesis 1 was supported: environmental self-identity could be empirically distinguished from biospheric values.
  • Also, the authors found clear support for Hypothesis 3: environmental self-identity mediated the relationship between biospheric values and the dependent variables.
  • In all cases, full mediation was shown, suggesting that the relationship between biospheric values and preferences and intentions related to the use of green energy runs via one’s environmental selfidentity.
  • Therefore, even for the broad environmental selfidentity, all hypotheses were supported.
  • Biospheric values are stable over time (e.g., Feather, 1995), and thus not likely to change over a short period of time.

5. Study 3

  • Second, the authors tested if biospheric values are related to environmental self-identity several months later (Hypothesis 2b).
  • Also, again the authors tested if the relationship between biospheric values and behaviour is mediated by environmental self-identity (Hypothesis 3).
  • For this purpose, participants first filled in the short value questionnaire including biospheric values.
  • A few months later, the authors asked participants to participate in a study in the lab in which they measured their environmental self-identity and environmental behaviour, which in this study involved a choice task between products with different environmental impacts.

5.1.1. Participants and procedure

  • Respondents were undergraduates at a Dutch university who participated in the study in exchange for course credits.
  • Respondents first completed the value questionnaire online.
  • One to three months later, they participated in the second part of the study in the lab that included measures of environmental self-identity and the product choice task.

5.1.2. Measures

  • One option of the product was a sustainable choice, which was 10% more expensive than the unsustainable option.
  • Participants chose between a pair of socks of 3 Euros which was produced in an unsustainable way and a pair of socks of 3.30 Euros which was produced sustainably.

5.2. Results

  • The MGM again showed that environmental self-identity could be empirically distinguished from biospheric values, supporting Hypothesis 1 (see Table 5).
  • The more strongly participants endorsed biospheric values, the stronger their environmental self-identity (b ¼ .48, p < .001).

5.3. Discussion

  • Again, the distinction between biospheric values and environmental self-identity was supported by the MGM, providing support for their first hypothesis.
  • This supports their hypothesis that values are the stable factor influencing environmental self-identity: even though environmental self-identity may change over time, it may be stable to a certain extent because it is related to values even when values are measured well before in time.
  • The authors also found support for their hypothesis that the relationship between biospheric values and behaviour is mediated by environmental self-identity, even though values had been measured well in advance, indicating that values are related to choices via environmental self-identity.

6. General discussion

  • In the present research the authors aimed to study the relationship between biospheric values, environmental self-identity, and environmental preferences, intentions and behaviour.
  • This suggests that values influence behaviour via one’s self-identity, and that this is more likely to be the case when the particular values are strongly endorsed.
  • The authors studied the relationship between biospheric values, environmental self-identity and a wide range of environmental preferences, intentions and behaviours.
  • A study by Hitlin (2003) provides some initial support that this relationship may be generalized.
  • Recent research suggests that self-identity may be an important factor in explaining environmental behaviour (e.g., Gatersleben et al., 2012; Nigbur et al., 2010; Whitmarsh & O’Neill, 2010).

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Citations
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Abstract: The aim of the present study was to examine further the role that self-identity plays in the theory of planned behaviour and, more specifically, to: (1) examine the combined effects of self-identity and social identity constructs on intention and behaviour, and (2) examine the effects of self-identity as a function of past experience of performing the behaviour. The study was concerned with the prediction of intention to engage in household recycling and reported recycling behaviour. A sample of 143 community residents participated in the study. It was prospective in design: measures of the predictors and intention were obtained at the first wave of data collection, whereas behaviour was assessed two weeks later. Selfidentity significantly predicted behavioural intention, a relationship that was not dependent on the extent to which the behaviour had been performed in the past. As expected, there was also evidence that the perceived norm of a behaviourally relevant reference group was related to behavioural intention, but only for participants who identified strongly with the group, whereas the relationship between perceived behavioural control (a personal factor) and intention was strongest for low identifiers.

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  • ...…nature and the environment, but not see themselves as a person who acts pro-environmentally, for example because they do not acknowledge environmental problems, or because they do not believe that these problems could or should be mitigated via individual actions (Van der Werff et al., 2013c)....

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  • ...…one is a pro-environmental person (e.g., when the behaviour is unique or difficult), while it was weakened when people were reminded of previous environmentally-harmful actions (Cornelissen, Dewitte, Warlop, & Yzerbyt, 2007; Cornelissen, Warlop, & Dewitte, 2008; Van der Werff et al., 2013a, 2013b)....

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  • ...…environmental self-identity appeared to be influenced by previous environmental actions: the environmental self-identity is stronger among those who did engage in pro-environmental actions, and weaker among those who did engage in environmentally-harmful actions (Van der Werff et al., 2013a)....

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  • ...Hence, identity mediates the relationship between values and behaviour (Van der Werff et al., 2013a, 2013c; Whitmarsh & O’Neill, 2010)....

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References
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"The value of environmental self-ide..." refers background or methods in this paper

  • ...…we first conducted a confirmatory factor analysis via the multiple group method (a simple and effective type of confirmatory factor analysis, e.g., Nunnally, 1978; Stuive, 2007; Stuive, Kiers, Timmerman, & Ten Berge, 2008) to test if biospheric values and environmental self-identity can be…...

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  • ...If the items correlate strongest with the scale to which they are assigned on theoretical ground, the factor structure is supported (Nunnally, 1978)....

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"The value of environmental self-ide..." refers background or methods in this paper

  • ...…we first conducted a confirmatory factor analysis via the multiple group method (a simple and effective type of confirmatory factor analysis, e.g., Nunnally, 1978; Stuive, 2007; Stuive, Kiers, Timmerman, & Ten Berge, 2008) to test if biospheric values and environmental self-identity can be…...

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TL;DR: In this paper, the universals in the content and structure of values, concentrating on the theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries, and its four basic issues: substantive contents of human values; identification of comprehensive set of values; extent to which the meaning of particular values was equivalent for different groups of people; and how the relations among different values was structured.
Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter addresses the universals in the content and structure of values, concentrating on the theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries, and its four basic issues: substantive contents of human values; identification of comprehensive set of values; extent to which the meaning of particular values was equivalent for different groups of people; and how the relations among different values was structured. Substantial progress has been made toward resolving each of these issues. Ten motivationally distinct value types that were likely to be recognized within and across cultures and used to form value priorities were identified. Set of value types that was relatively comprehensive, encompassing virtually all the types of values to which individuals attribute at least moderate importance as criteria of evaluation was demonstrated. The evidence from 20 countries was assembled, showing that the meaning of the value types and most of the single values that constitute them was reasonably equivalent across most groups. Two basic dimensions that organize value systems into an integrated motivational structure with consistent value conflicts and compatibilities were discovered. By identifying universal aspects of value content and structure, the chapter has laid the foundations for investigating culture-specific aspects in the future.

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"The value of environmental self-ide..." refers background in this paper

  • ...Values have been defined by Schwartz (1992) as desirable and transsituational goals that serve as guiding principles in one’s life....

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Frequently Asked Questions (10)
Q1. What are the contributions mentioned in the paper "The value of environmental self-identity: the relationship between biospheric values, environmental self-identity and environmental preferences, intentions and behaviour" ?

Although various authors suggest a relationship between values and self-identity, this has rarely been studied empirically. This paper aimed to clarify the relationship between biospheric values and environmental self-identity and to study how both are related to environmental preferences, intentions, and behaviour. This suggests that values need to be linked to the self in order to be influential in choices made. 

As their results are based on correlational data, future research is needed to test whether the results can be replicated with experimental designs, which would allow for more definite conclusions on causality. For example, future studies could test if biospheric values are still related to environmental self-identity after a manipulation of environmental self-identity ( e. g., by reminding people of their past behaviour ). Also, the authors relied on behavioural self-reports ; future research is needed to test if environmental self-identity is related to actual behaviours as well, for example by observing environmental behaviour. An important question for future research is whether environmental self-identity can be changed more easily than values ( for example by influencing past behaviour, or reminding people of their past pro-environmental actions ) and whether campaigns or policies that address environmental self-identity result in several proenvironmental actions. 

As their results are based on correlational data, future research is needed to test whether the results can be replicated with experimental designs, which would allow for more definite conclusions on causality. 

The relationship between biospheric values and meat consumptionwas fully mediated by energy-saving self-identity, the bias-corrected bootstrap estimate of the indirect effect had a 95% confidence interval from 58.596 to 24.054, indicating that energy-saving self-identity significantly reduced the strength of the relationship between biospheric values and meat consumption. 

One of the reviewers suggested testing the reversed mediation effect as well, namely whether biospheric values mediate the relationship between environmental self-identity and environmental preferences, intentions and behaviour. 

environmental self-identity fully mediated the relationship between biospheric values and willingness to reduce energy use if the energy is green. 

the authors relied on behavioural self-reports; future research is needed to test if environmental self-identity is related to actual behaviours as well, for example by observing environmental behaviour. 

Based on this, the authors propose that biospheric values are related to environmental self-identity which is in turn related to environmental preferences, intentions and behaviour. 

Self-identity has been defined as the label used to describe oneself (Cook et al., 2002), which relates to a particular behaviour (Conner & Armitage, 1998). 

The latter implies that self-identity is more likely to change over time (e.g., by reminding people on their past pro-environmental actions), in contrast to values that are believed to be general and relatively stable over time (Feather, 1995).