Examining the Factors That Contribute to Pro-Environmental Behaviour between Rural and Urban Populations

Jade Sheasby and Alan Smith ()
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Jade Sheasby: School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
Alan Smith: School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 7, 1-15

Abstract: Factors that influence pro-environmental behaviour in individuals can be examined to assess the influence of a single element or combination of elements. In this study, eight factors were investigated for their influence on pro-environmental behaviour: environmental knowledge, environmental attitude, the influence of others, environmental responsibility, age, qualification level, employment status and locality (rural or urban). These factors were established from behavioural theory in the field of psychology, specifically the theory of planned behaviour. Data were collected via an online questionnaire, for which the participants were scored on answers to pro-environmental behaviour questions, which, in turn, were correlated against established influences of such behaviour. A multiple linear regression analysis examined the level of significance that environmental knowledge, environmental attitude, the influence of others and environmental responsibility had on predicting an individual’s level of pro-environmental behaviour. An ordinal logistic regression examined the level of significance that age, qualification level, employment status and locality (rural or urban) had on predicting levels of pro-environmental behaviour. The analyses did not detect a statistically significant relationship between any of the independent variables on individual pro-environmental behaviour. However, the level of contribution of each factor provides insights into approaches that can be used in policy formation in the education and marketing domains.

Keywords: pro-environmental behaviour; multiple linear regression; theory of planned behaviour; urban/rural (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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