Ecological Worldview Position and Personal Norms in the Regulation of Ecologically Significant Behavior

Abstract

The work verifies the leading role of the ecological position (I. Kryazh) as part of the process of activating personal norms as a factor of pro-environmental behavior. The ecological worldview position is revealed through giving the “status” the main source of life support for the biosphere or money, which determines different assessments of ecological reality. To study personal norms, the modified Rosenzweig Picture-Frustration Study (I. Kryazh, 1995) was used. The sample consisted of 161 respondents. Structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques were used in testing of regulation models of pro-environmental behavior. It has been revealed that the ecological position has an indirect impact on pro-environmental behavior – through promoting pro-environmental norms and social norms of interpersonal communication. In so doing, the biospheric orientation reinforces the willingness to protect of the norm, which, in turn, enhances the assessment of the situation in which harm caused to nature or people is abnormal. Therefore, the realization of the biospheric position through the adoption of the role of defender of the norms of justice facilitates activation of the personal pro-environmental norms and so that supports pro-environmental behavior at the household. The adherence to pro-social norms of interpersonal communication has become an incentive for pro-environmental behavior at the household, if it opposed the neglect of the rights of others. When the prosocial position in interpersonal communication is just adopted under social pressure (the desire not to stand out, follow the rules of society, or unwillingness to be in the shoes of the accused), this will negatively occur on pro-environmental behavior at the household.