The Value Basis of Environmental Concern
1994/10/01 by Paul C. Stern, Thomas Dietz · 2,219 citations
Environmental Science · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Altruism (biology) #Climate Change Communication and Perception #Economics #Environmental Education and Sustainability #Environmental ethics #Environmental justice #Environmentalism #Microeconomics #Perception #Political science #Population #Preference #Psychology #Risk Perception and Management #Social psychology #Social value orientations #Sociology #Value (mathematics)
paper · doi:10.1111/j.1540-4560.1994.tb02420.x
published in Journal of Social Issues 50(3), 65-84 (Wiley)
openalex publication_date 1994/10/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Abstract
This article describes and presents initial empirical tests of a theory that links values, beliefs, attitudes, and behavior within a preference construction framework that emphasizes the activation of personal environmental norms. Environmental concern is related to egoistic, social‐altruistic, and biospheric value orientations and also to beliefs about the consequences of environmental changes for valued objects. Two studies generally support the hypothesized relationships and demonstrate links to the broader theory of values. However, the biospheric value orientation postulated in the theoretical literature on environmentalism does not differentiate from social‐altruism in a general population sample. Results are discussed in terms of value change, the role of social structural factors (including gender) in environmentalism, theories of risk perception, and the mobilization strategies of social movements, including environmental justice movements.
Citations
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