Topic 7 - Putting the "I" in Environment

an understanding of key ecological concepts and the reciprocal relationship between natural systems and human systems

the extent to which people are aware of environmental issues, whether they grasp the underlying processes or not

people’s perceptions of risks are influenced not just by knowledge, but also by the values of the social groups with which they affiliate and identify

measures the extent to which respondents believe (falsely) that all people generally have equal access to healthy, unpolluted natural resources and the same opportunity to participate in decision making about where industrial hazards will be located

belief that people have little influence over personal outcomes and world events; they feel like things happen because of chance, fate, luck, divine will, or other external influences.

belief that outcomes depend upon planning, effort, and personal commitment

the belief that one has the ability to successfully pursue a course of action required to achieve a goal

a positive or negative evaluation of something

attitudes do not always predict behaviour

attitudes people are conscious of holding

nonconscious attitudes

“guiding principles” that inform both beliefs and attitudes

idiosyncratic (peculiar/individual) feelings of moral obligation to act in a particular way

lead to people’s concern about the environment because of direct impacts to them personally

care about the environment because of its relevance for other humans, including children, community members, other cultures, future generations, and society in general

regarding ecological systems as important in themselves, beyond what they mean for human survival (altruistic) or personal comforts (egoistic)

values focused on wealth, possessions, image, and status highly materialistic individuals have larger ecological footprints, consuming more of the earth’s resources due to their lifestyle choices regarding food, transportation, and housing; they report fewer environmentally friendly behaviours

thinking hard is rewarding

comfortable mulling over large amounts of information and is able to make connections and see patterns

uncomfortable with nuance or uncertainty, and is eager to finalize decisions; limited tolerance for new information

high need for cognition, high conceptual complexity, and low need for closure

people who habitually think about the future when making decisions in the moment

aspects of your general character that tend to remain consistent across situations

roles, ideological beliefs, interests, and self-evaluations