Environment and Behavior recent issues

Attitude-Based Target Groups to Reduce the Ecological Impact of Daily Mobility Behavior

Hunecke, M., Haustein, S., Bohler, S., Grischkat, S. — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:41:37 PST

This study analyzes the usefulness of an attitude-based target group approach in predicting the ecological impact of mobility behavior. Based on a survey of 1,991 inhabitants of three large German cities, constructs derived from an expanded version of the Theory of Planned Behavior were used to identify distinct attitude-based target groups. Five groups were identified, each representing a unique combination of attitudes, norms, and values. The groups differed significantly from each other with regard to travel-mode choice, distances traveled, and ecological impact. In comparison with segmentations based on sociodemographic and geographic factors, the predictive power of the attitude-based approach was higher, especially with regard to the use of private motorized modes of transportation. The opportunities and limits of reducing the ecological impact of mobility behavior on the basis of an attitude-based target group approach are discussed.

Recklessness in Context: Individual and Situational Correlates to Aggressive Driving

Harris, P. B., Houston, J. M. — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:41:37 PST

Traffic-related injury and fatality are major health risks in the United States and worldwide. One contributor to road accidents is unsafe and aggressive driving practices. We examined individual and situational aspects of aggressive driving by having 152 undergraduate students complete self-report measures. Aggressive driving was related to personality variables, such as hostility, sensation seeking, and competitiveness, as well as to social variables such as driving without passengers and characteristics of the target vehicle (e.g., passengers, age, and status of driver), environmental variables (e.g., type of road, traffic, and weather), and temporal variables (e.g., time pressure and time of day).

Examining Trends in Adolescent Environmental Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behaviors Across Three Decades

Wray-Lake, L., Flanagan, C. A., Osgood, D. W. — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:41:37 PST

Since the Environmental Movement began, adolescents’ views have been largely ignored in studies of public opinion. The article presents a descriptive analysis of trends in the environmental attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of high school seniors from 1976 to 2005 using data from the Monitoring the Future study. Across a range of indicators, environmental concerns of adolescents show increases during the early 1990s and declines across the remainder of the three decades. Declining trends in reports of personal responsibility for the environment, conservation behaviors, and the belief that resources are scarce are particularly noteworthy. Across all years, findings reveal that youth tended to assign responsibility for the environment to the government and consumers rather than accepting personal responsibility. Recent declines in environmental concerns for this nationally representative sample of youth signal the need for a renewed focus on young people’s views and call for better environmental education and governmental leadership.

Constructing Spatial Meaning: Spatial Affordances in Museum Design

Wineman, J. D., Peponis, J. — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:41:37 PST

Informal education in museums is structured through movement in space. This article summarizes a range of research that examines the role of spatial layout in shaping the ways in which visitors explore, engage, and understand museums and museum exhibitions. It is demonstrated that behavior patterns are systematically linked to spatial characteristics of access and visibility. Furthermore, it is suggested that these patterns of access and visibility construct a spatial discourse that flows in its own right, although not entirely separate from the curatorial message.

The Effect of Empathy in Environmental Moral Reasoning

Berenguer, J. — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:41:38 PST

Based on Batson’s Model of Altruism, in the present work it is argued that moral reasoning about the environment (number of moral reasons given for pro-environmental behaviors) can be improved by manipulating the emotion of empathy. It is also argued that the argument of moral reasoning will be different depending on whether the object of empathy is a natural object (vulture) or a human being (young man). The present work reports a study using a factorial design (2x2) with control group on the relationship between empathy level (high or low), empathy object (vulture or young man) and moral reasoning about ecological dilemmas. The reasoning was evaluated using four different ecological moral dilemmas, with responses coded in three categories (anthropocentric, ecocentric and nonvenvironmental). The results of the study indicate that participants who showed a high empathy level provided more arguments of moral reasoning than those in the low empathy group. When the object of empathy was a vulture the number of moral arguments of an ecocentric nature increased; when it was a young man the number of moral arguments of an anthropocentric nature increased.

Crowding and Cognitive Development: The Mediating Role of Maternal Responsiveness Among 36-Month-Old Children

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:41:38 PST

Residential crowding in both U.S. and U.K. samples of 36-month-old children is related concurrently to the Bracken scale, a standard index of early cognitive development skills including letter and color identification, shape recognition, and elementary numeric comprehension. In the U.S. sample, these effects also replicate prospectively. Statistical controls for income, child gender, maternal age, and maternal education are incorporated throughout. In both samples the association between crowding and cognitive development are mediated by maternal responsiveness. Mothers in more crowded homes are less responsive to their children.

The Effect of Environmental Design on Reducing Nursing Errors and Increasing Efficiency in Acute Care Settings: A Review and Analysis of the Literature

Chaudhury, H., Mahmood, A., Valente, M. — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:56:09 PDT

Physical environment is an important component in the acute care setting that can affect nursing and medication accuracies, as any inadequacy in physical environment would contribute to staff fatigue, stress, and burnout and result in errors. The article discusses a study conducted involving an extensive review and analysis of the literature on this topic and focus groups with various categories of staff members at three hospitals. The review demonstrates that the following environmental variables can contribute to errors in acute care settings: noise levels, ergonomics/furniture/equipment, lighting, and design/layout. Focus groups address the role of the physical environment on medication ordering, storage, delivery, dispensation, preparation, administration, and possible design responses to reduce errors. Integrating the major issues identified and the key findings from the focus groups, four design-related principles are recommended: balance between patient accessibility and reduction of disruptions, automation, minimize staff fatigue, and promoting a culture of safety.

Recruiting Participants for Neighborhood Effects Research: Strategies and Outcomes of the Twin Cities Walking Study

Oakes, J. M., Forsyth, A., Hearst, M. O., Schmitz, K. H. — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:56:09 PDT

Research into the effects of neighborhood environments on social and behavioral characteristics is threatened by inattention to some methodological obstacles, including the recruitment of a representative sample of resident participants. Although sampling is relatively straightforward, actual recruitment is not. The authors present the recruitment experience of the Twin Cities Walking Study addressing two questions: (a) Are randomly selected participants different from those selected by convenience? and (b) How well does the realized sample match known demographic characteristics of target neighborhoods? Of 716 total participants nested in 36 neighborhoods, 74% were randomly recruited. Socioeconomic status was positively correlated with random recruitment; nonrandom volunteers were more likely to be non-White females of lower socioeconomic status. Multivariate analyses, using propensity scores, show randomly selected and volunteer participants to be similar. The final mixed sample represented the target neighborhoods well. Supplementing a random sample with volunteers may yield a representative sample exchangeable at the group level.

Understanding the Relationship Between Christian Orthodoxy and Environmentalism: The Mediating Role of Perceived Environmental Consequences

Truelove, H. B., Joireman, J. — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:56:09 PDT

The present study evaluated the hypothesis that people who strongly adhere to Christian orthodoxy may be less proenvironmental to the extent that they are less aware of the biospheric consequences of environmental problems (biospheric AC) but that they may be more proenvironmental than others to the extent that they are more aware of the egoistic and social-altruistic consequences of environmental problems (egoistic AC and social-altruistic AC, respectively). College students ( N = 192) completed measures of awareness of negative consequences (AC), Christian orthodoxy, and environmental behavior. Results showed that Christian orthodoxy negatively related to all measures of environmental behavior. Additionally, biospheric AC was a complete mediator in Christian orthodoxy’s relationships with environmental intentions and willingness to pay for environmental protection and was a partial mediator in Christian orthodoxy’s relationship with proenvironmental political behavior. Neither egoistic AC nor social-altruistic AC correlated with Christian orthodoxy, so their mediating properties were not assessed. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Effect of Settlement Size and Religiosity on Sense of Place in Communal Settlements

Casakin, H., Billig, M. — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:56:09 PDT

The effect of religiosity and settlement size on sense of place was studied among residents of Jewish communal settlements in Judea and Samaria. Sense of place was defined as a multidimensional concept of cognitive, affective, and conative dimensions. Sense of place was found to be significantly higher for religious than for secular residents. Sense of place was found to be higher for religious residents in small settlements, whereas for secular residents it was higher in large settlements. The study suggests reasons for these findings.

Developing Strategies for Waste Reduction by Means of Tailored Interventions in Santiago de Cuba

Tobias, R., Brugger, A., Mosler, H.-J. — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:56:09 PDT

This article introduces an approach to tailoring behavior-change campaigns to target populations using the example of solid waste reduction in Santiago de Cuba. Tailoring is performed in the following steps: (1) Psychological constructs are selected to detect problems in performing the target behavior, and data are gathered on these constructs. (2) Cluster analyses are performed on these data to identify different psychological types and their distribution in the population. (3) Intervention techniques are assigned according to the spatial and quantitative distribution and the characteristics of these types. Results of the cluster analyses are presented for three different behaviors that can reduce the amount of deposited solid waste (recycling, composting, reuse) on the basis of the four psychological constructs of instrumental and affective attitude, difficulty, and social pressure. The tailoring of interventions could be used to design environmental campaigns more efficiently.

Residential Satisfaction and Levels of Environment in Students' Residences

Amole, D. — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:56:09 PDT

This study investigates the relationship between residential satisfaction and levels of the residential environment. Specifically, it identifies the levels of environment to which users respond in relation to satisfaction, how significant satisfaction is across levels of environment, and the dimensions of satisfaction across the levels. The study uses data collected from 1,124 students in 20 residence halls in four Nigerian universities. Responses to 49 satisfaction items about various attributes of the residence halls are subjected to factor analysis. Three levels of environment, namely, the bedroom, the floor, and the hall emerge from the analysis, and satisfaction is significantly different across these levels. Although the experience of satisfaction is different, separate, and hierarchical at the different levels of environment, the users respond to similar dimensions of satisfaction at each level. The implications of these results are also discussed.

Why Is Nature Beneficial?: The Role of Connectedness to Nature

Mayer, F. S., Frantz, C. M., Bruehlman-Senecal, E., Dolliver, K. — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:15:29 PDT

Three studies examine the effects of exposure to nature on positive affect and ability to reflect on a life problem. Participants spent 15 min walking in a natural setting (Studies 1, 2, & 3), an urban setting (Study 1), or watching videos of natural and urban settings (Studies 2 & 3). In all three studies, exposure to nature increased connectedness to nature, attentional capacity, positive emotions, and ability to reflect on a life problem; these effects are more dramatic for actual nature than for virtual nature. Mediational analyses indicate that the positive effects of exposure to nature are partially mediated by increases in connectedness to nature and are not mediated by increases in attentional capacity. The discussion focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the exposure to nature/well-being effects.

The Territorial Prior-Residence Effect and Children's Behavior in Social Dilemmas

Ru Han, , Shu Li, , Shi, J.-N. — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:15:29 PDT

Research on territorial behavior has focused on animal populations, and relatively little has dealt with territoriality in humans, except in the area of human sports. This study was an investigation of the prior-residence effect on children's behavior in social dilemmas. The analysis was carried out by means of research designed for preschool children who played a dictator game and an ultimatum game. This study demonstrates the advantages of being on one's own turf. The authors found that children playing in their own classroom obtained more from games than did those playing in their partners' classroom. In contrast, not being in their own classroom and not having the power to dictate in the ultimatum game were seen as an underlying reason why children propose more offers to their partners. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings for the evolution of prosocial behavior are discussed.

Influence of Limitedly Visible Leafy Indoor Plants on the Psychology, Behavior, and Health of Students at a Junior High School in Taiwan

Han, K.-T. — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:15:29 PDT

There is growing evidence to support the notion that contact with nature is helpful for emotional states, attention, mental fatigue, behavior, and personal health. This study adopts a quasi-experimental approach to investigate the effects of limitedly visible indoor plants on students' psychology, physiology, and behavior and uses a control-series design covering one semester. Two classes of sophomores at a Taiwanese junior high school (eighth grade, N = 76), of which one served as the experimental group and the other as control, were surveyed once every 2 weeks. After six plants were placed at the back of the classroom, the experimental group had immediately and significantly stronger feelings of preference, comfort, and friendliness as compared to the control group. Also, the experimental group had significantly fewer hours of sick leave and punishment records due to misbehavior than the control group. In addition to the visual and psychological mechanisms that contributed to restoration, there may have been other factors at work.

Environmentally Friendly Behavior: Can Heterogeneity Among Individuals and Contexts/ Environments Be Harvested for Improved Sustainable Management?

Dolnicar, S., Grun, B. — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:15:29 PDT

The study of behavior with environmental consequences (recycling, water conservation, etc.) has received significant attention from social scientists over the past few decades. However, few studies have closely examined the systematic heterogeneity of behavior with environmental consequences. This study tests two specific hypotheses about such heterogeneity: that individuals differ systematically in their patterns of behavior with environmental consequences and that behavioral patterns systematically differ between context/environments. Both hypotheses are investigated empirically in the home and vacation environment. Results support the assumption that systematic differences in behavioral patterns exist across individuals. With respect to context/environment dependence, some groups of individuals do not change their behavior much between contexts/environments. The majority, however, tend to engage in fewer proenvironmental behaviors in the vacation context. These findings have significant implications for environmentally sustainable management, both for local councils and tourism destinations.

The Nature Relatedness Scale: Linking Individuals' Connection With Nature to Environmental Concern and Behavior

Nisbet, E. K., Zelenski, J. M., Murphy, S. A. — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:15:29 PDT

Disconnection from the natural world may be contributing to our planet's destruction. The authors propose a new construct, Nature Relatedness (NR), and a scale that assesses the affective, cognitive, and experiential aspects of individuals' connection to nature. In Study 1, the authors explored the internal structure of the NR item responses in a sample of 831 participants using factor analysis. They tested the construct validity of NR with respect to an assortment of environmental and personality measures. In Study 2, they employed experience sampling methodology examining if NR people spend more time outdoors, in nature. Across studies, NR correlated with environmental scales, behavior, and frequency of time in nature, supporting the reliability and validity of NR, as well as the contribution of NR (over and above other measures) to environmental concern and behavior. The potential of NR as a useful method for investigating human-nature relationships and the processes underlying environmental concern and behaviors are discussed.

It Matters a Hole Lot: Perceptual Affordances of Waste Containers Influence Recycling Compliance

Duffy, S., Verges, M. — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:15:29 PDT

This article examines whether specialized lids on waste receptacles affect recycling compliance in public settings. Thirty waste receptacles were assigned to a lids-present and lids-absent condition, and the number of recyclable items found in recycling and waste bins served as the dependent measure. Results indicated the presence of specialized recycling container lids increased the beverage-recycling rate by 34%, which suggests that perceptual affordances of specialized container lids improve recycling compliance. Possible underlying mechanisms and implications for institutions seeking to promote recycling as an environmentally responsible behavior are discussed.

Katrina Cataclysm: Does Duration of Residency and Prior Experience Affect Impacts, Evacuation, and Adaptation Behavior Among Survivors?

Adeola, F. O. — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:22:09 PDT

This study explores the extent to which people's prior experience of a natural disaster influenced subsequent behavior concerning the threats of a hydrometeorological disaster and if duration of residency in a disaster-prone landscape affects the extent of preparedness for an impending disaster. Mixed methods research strategies involving survey, field observation, and participant observations at several locations including rescue and evacuation centers in New Orleans, Louisiana, Austin, Texas, and Lawrenceville, Georgia, were used, during the immediate impact phase, emergency shelter phase, and postimpact and recovery phase of Katrina catastrophe. For the survey, a sample of 598 subjects completed a 15-page, 54-item questionnaire addressing various aspects of the Katrina flood in the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. The qualitative aspect consists of field observations of the event, interviews, and direct comments by the victims dispersed across the South. In the regression analysis performed, prior experience was found to be less important than friends' and family members' influence in determining evacuation behavior. However, duration of residency and prior experience were found to be slightly significant in predicting the odds of evacuation.

Mobility and Territorial Belonging

Gustafson, P. — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:22:09 PDT

Much existing research assumes that there is an opposition between mobility and territorial belonging, so that mobile persons tend to have a weak sense of belonging whereas persons with a strong sense of belonging are less willing than others to move. Some studies, however, suggest that mobility may coexist with or even reinforce territorial belonging. This article uses Swedish survey data to introduce two important qualifications to this discussion. First, it shows that different kinds of mobility—daily commuting, long-distance travel, residential mobility, and international migration—are differently related to people's sense of belonging. Second, by examining local, regional, national, and European belonging, it shows that the relationship between mobility and belonging is to some extent a matter of territorial scale.

Psychosocial Variables in the Determination of the Verdict Object in Trials for Environmental Crimes in Spain

Alvarez, P., De la Fuente, E. I., Garcia, J., De la Fuente, L. — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:22:09 PDT

Every year, 45,000 forest fires occur in Europe, destroying a forested surface area equivalent to the size of Belgium. Nearly 60% of the forest fires have been ascribed to arson, and for this reason the so-called environmental crime has been included in the legal codes of the members of the European Union. For instance, in Spain forest fires are objects of prosecution in a court of law. This study analyzes the following variables: conservatism, dogmatism, locus of control, attitude toward the legal system, factors from the short Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Inventory (responsibility, openness, extraversion, and kindness), specific variables in the particular cases proposed (forest fires), and attitude toward the protection and improvement of the environment. The specific variables used in each case may help in better delineating verdict trends.

On Shape and Spaciousness

Stamps, A. E. — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:22:09 PDT

Theory suggests that having enough space is a fundamental human need and so research on how environments can be modified to increase perceived spaciousness is important. Two experiments, covering 109 participants and 30 stimuli, investigated possible effects of horizontal area and aspect ratios of recesses on judged spaciousness of streets. One experiment simulated the streets with dynamic virtual reality models in which participants could move around. The other experiment simulated the streets with three static colored images. Both simulation protocols generated the same conclusions. The most important factor in judged spaciousness was horizontal area. Larger areas were judged as being more spacious. Streets with setbacks that were shallower but longer were judged as being more spacious than streets with setbacks that were deeper but shorter. The results suggest that even if the actual size of a space is fixed, it is possible to increase perceived spaciousness by modifying the shape of the space.

Stable or Dynamic Value Importance?: The Interaction Between Value Endorsement Level and Situational Differences on Decision-Making in Environmental Issues

Howes, Y., Gifford, R. — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:22:09 PDT

In proposing that value endorsement level is dynamic rather than static, this study investigated how value importance judgments would vary with situation. Questionnaires were mailed to community residents (N = 276), using a scenario that described a realistic value conflict in an environmental issue. The results demonstrated that value importance judgments varied with situation, but the degree to which the situation influenced the judgment was moderated by the preexisting value endorsement level. Moreover, the study suggests that when 2 values are in conflict, the degree of difference in preexisting level of endorsement of the 2 values may be a better predictor of the judgments than the endorsement level of a single value.

Residence Hall Room Type and Alcohol Use Among College Students Living on Campus

Cross, J. E., Zimmerman, D., O'Grady, M. A. — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:22:09 PDT

The objectives were to explore the relation between the built environment of residence halls and the alcohol use of college students living on campus from the perspective of the theory of routine activity. This exploratory study examined data from two samples on one college campus. Online surveys assessed alcohol use, attitudes toward alcohol use, perceptions of campus alcohol norms, and individual factors (i.e., gender). Data came from an Alcohol Norms Survey using a random sample (N = 440) and a Resident Assessment Survey using a random sample ( N = 531) in 2006 and 2007. After controlling for other drinking behavior predictors (attitudes, gender, high school drinking, and perceptions of peer drinking), regression analysis showed that students living in suite halls had a higher odds of drinking more frequently, drinking more alcohol when they socialize, heavy episodic drinking, and drinking more often in their residence halls.