Pro-Environmental Attitudes and Sustainable Behaviour: Testing a Structural Equation Model

Abstract

The study uses the structural equation modelling (SEM) technique to investigate the intricate process of converting environmental sustainability awareness into pro-environmental attitudes and sustainable behaviour. A sample of 800 adults is used to test an extensive model which includes three independent variables (perceived environmental threat, environmental knowledge, media exposure), two mediators (personal norms, perceived behavioural control), one moderator (socioeconomic status), and three dependent variables (pro-environmental attitude, sustainable behaviour intention, actual sustainable behaviour). Results show that the overall model accounted for a significant amount of variance in all endogenous constructs (R² ranged from .305 to .699). The relationships between environmental awareness and attitudes are significantly mediated by personal norms and perceived behavioural control, with personal norms as the strongest mediator (indirect effect = .114, Sobel z = 9.28, p < .001). The relationship between perceived environmental threat and pro-environmental attitude is significantly moderated by socioeconomic status (β = .077, p < .001), with a stronger relationship found among those with higher socioeconomic status. The model has good explanatory power and offers a complex perspective on the psychological processes that lead to the adoption of sustainable behaviours. Discussion of implications for environmental policy and education; implications for intervention design.