Where do pro-environmental tendencies fit within a taxonomy of personality traits?

Taciano L. Milfont

Chapter 6 in Research Handbook on Environmental Sociology, 2021, pp 97-115 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: In this chapter, I discuss the associations between pro-environmental tendencies and personality traits, as outlined in the Big Five and HEXACO models. I review findings showing tight links between core personality characteristics and pro-environmentalism, and also report re-analyses of published data examining the extent to which country-level indicators moderate personality - environmentalism correlations and novel data examining these associations at the personality nuances level. Openness to Experience was the personality trait consistently found to display positive correlations with pro-environmental tendencies - not only at the highest domain level but also at the facet and nuance levels. To a lesser degree, both Honesty-Humility and Agreeableness show positive correlations with attitudes and behaviours related to protection of the natural environment. Openness-attitude associations were stronger in countries with below-median levels of environmental performance, and Openness-behaviour associations were stronger in countries with above-median levels of Individualism. I conclude that there is an ample support for pro-environmental tendencies as a reflection of people's core personality traits and provide an agenda for future research on this topic.

Keywords: Economics and Finance; Environment; Sociology and Social Policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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