Under Construction @ Keele 2016 Volume 2 Issue 2 | Page 27
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environmentally, fostering an association between a ‘personal moral duty’ and ‘acting proenvironmentally’ may result in positive outcomes for society.
Conclusion
The findings indicate support for the notion that the foundations, and consequently solutions,
to various environmental problems may indeed be ‘rooted in human values’. It appears that
our values influence our willingness to engage in PEB through their influence on our moral
norms. A higher regard for STV reflects a greater willingness to engage in PEB, while the
relationship between SEV and behaviour is more complex. Although SEV appear to have a
negative impact upon PEB when they are the only value regarded highly, their impact
appears negligible when STV are also held in high regard.
Future research should consider making pro-environmental communication more
congruent to an individual’s values by tailoring the content of the message. This may
increase the general public’s engagement with pro-environmental campaigns, and ultimately
lead to increased engagement with pro-environmental actions. In conclusion, this work
suggests rather than ask how best to convert an ‘Egocentric Edward’ or a ‘Non-engaging
Nina’ into an ‘Opportunistic Oscar’ or a ‘Selfless Susan’, we should instead question how to
ensure messages designed to promote and increase pro-environmental actions reach, and
resonate, with all of these individuals.