Pro-environmental Behaviour, Environmental Attitude and Perceived Behavioural Control in a Sample of Young Irish Adults

Ferrari, Paula (2020) Pro-environmental Behaviour, Environmental Attitude and Perceived Behavioural Control in a Sample of Young Irish Adults. Undergraduate thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between attitude, perceived behavioural control and pro-environmental behaviour in a sample of young Irish adults. Behaviour change is required to offset negative human impact on the environment in a time of great climatic change. Ireland is failing to meet deadlines to offset further negative impact and young adults of today will be those dealing with environmental issues in the future. It is important to understand factors related to their environmental behaviour and how to target interventions appealing to this cohort. There is a paucity of research into psychological factors affecting pro-environmental behaviour in Ireland. Using the Environmental Attitudes Inventory (EAI-24), the Perceived Behavioural Control Measure and the Pro-environmental Behaviour Scale, this study hypothesised that environmental attitude and perceived behavioural control would predict pro-environmental behaviour in a sample of young Irish adults. The findings show that environmental attitude was a significant predictor of pro-environmental behaviour (p = .003), while perceived behavioural control was not a significant predictor. This supports previous research which determined the complexity of predictors of pro-environmental behaviour and suggests that interventions to increase pro-environmental behaviour may rely on appealing to environmental attitude. Novel and more relevant measures may be required to capture the complex nature of predictors of pro-environmental behaviour in young Irish adults of today.
Keywords: Pro-environmental behaviour, perceived behavioural control, environmental attitude, young Irish adults, EAI-24, Perceived behavioural Control Measure, Pro-environmental Behaviour Scale

Item Type:	Thesis (Undergraduate)
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > Psychology G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences > Environment
Divisions:	School of Business > BA (Honours) in Psychology
Depositing User:	Mr Kevin Loughran
Date Deposited:	21 May 2021 14:26
Last Modified:	21 May 2021 14:26
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/4823

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