12
Stern’ s paper( 2000) suggests that our values are likely to impact upon our behaviour indirectly; activating certain mediators that‘ drive’ our actions. 10 Investigating these mediators helps environmental psychologists understand the process involved in the value-behaviour relationship. Moral norms are thought to be one such mediator. Moral norms represent an individual’ s personal beliefs about the moral correctness or incorrectness of performing a specific behaviour. 11 It is thought that our values determine our moral norms, and consequently these shape our actions( see figure 1).
Performing PEB is generally accepted as‘ morally correct’ due to the significant benefits these carry for the environment. 12 Therefore, those individuals who attend to their moral norms concerning PEB, usually engage in more PEB than those who do not. 13 Individuals who hold STV in high regard are likely to have a strong moral norm towards acting pro-environmentally, due to prioritising biospheric and altruistic concerns. Conversely, individuals who hold SEV in high regard are likely to have a weaker moral norm towards acting pro-environmentally, due to prioritising egoistic and hedonic concerns.
Figure 1. The proposed predictive relationship between values, moral norms and behaviour. Arrows indicate the direction of the prediction.
In short, as our values shape what we perceive to be morally acceptable, this not only impacts upon our own behaviour, but carries consequences for wider society. Therefore, to enhance our understanding of how our values influence PEB, it is necessary to include moral norms as a mediator in this relationship. The remainder of this paper presents the results of a study designed to test this relationship.
10 Paul C Stern. " New environmental theories: toward a coherent theory of environmentally significant behaviour." Journal of social issues 56( 2000): 412-413. 11 Michele Tonglet, Paul S. Phillips and Adam D. Read. " Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour to
investigate the determinants of recycling behaviour: a case study from Brixworth, UK," Resources, Conservation and Recycling 41( 2004): 198. 12 Judith De Groot and Linda Steg. " Mean or green: which values can promote stable proenvironmental behaviour?" Conservation Letters 2( 2009): 62. 13 Ibid.