IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i17p9301-d628360.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Impact of an Authoritarian Personality on Pro-Environmental Behaviour for Air Pollution Mitigation through Interactions with Social Norms

Author

Listed:
  • Jiawen Cao

    (CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, China
    College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China)

  • Jin Chen

    (CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, China)

Abstract

This study examines how risk perception and authoritarian personality affect public engagement in mitigating air pollution. Data were collected ( n = 2010) from 13 Chinese cities with varying air pollution gradients using questionnaires. The results demonstrated that air pollution was significantly correlated with people’s risk perception and concern about air pollution, which significantly affected their pro-environmental behaviour (PEB). However, high-risk perceptions undermine the public’s self-efficacy and reduce people’s PEB in the private sphere. People with high scores of the authoritarian personality type were reluctant to engage in PEB in the private sphere; interestingly, it can also be transformed into a stronger PEB in the public sphere via social norms. Thus, this study suggests that educational activities can break the negative link between authoritarianism and environmentalism, leading to behavioural change. Hence, it is essential for education programs to harvest positive outcomes via adaptive approaches for varying authoritarian personalities.

Suggested Citation

  • Jiawen Cao & Jin Chen, 2021. "The Impact of an Authoritarian Personality on Pro-Environmental Behaviour for Air Pollution Mitigation through Interactions with Social Norms," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-20, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:17:p:9301-:d:628360
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/17/9301/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/17/9301/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Vredin Johansson, Maria & Heldt, Tobias & Johansson, Per, 2006. "The effects of attitudes and personality traits on mode choice," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 40(6), pages 507-525, July.
    2. Junzhe Bao & Xiping Yang & Zhiyuan Zhao & Zhenkun Wang & Chuanhua Yu & Xudong Li, 2015. "The Spatial-Temporal Characteristics of Air Pollution in China from 2001–2014," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Farrow, Katherine & Grolleau, Gilles & Ibanez, Lisette, 2017. "Social Norms and Pro-environmental Behavior: A Review of the Evidence," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 1-13.
    4. Samuel D. Brody & B. Mitchell Peck & Wesley E. Highfield, 2004. "Examining Localized Patterns of Air Quality Perception in Texas: A Spatial and Statistical Analysis," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(6), pages 1561-1574, December.
    5. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    6. Zhang, Xu & Ou, Xunmin & Yang, Xi & Qi, Tianyu & Nam, Kyung-Min & Zhang, Da & Zhang, Xiliang, 2017. "Socioeconomic burden of air pollution in China: Province-level analysis based on energy economic model," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 478-489.
    7. Sifan Hu & Jin Chen, 2016. "Place-based inter-generational communication on local climate improves adolescents’ perceptions and willingness to mitigate climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 138(3), pages 425-438, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yaling Lu & Yuan Wang & Yujie Liao & Jiantong Wang & Mei Shan & Hongqiang Jiang, 2023. "Public Concern about Haze and Ozone in the Era of Their Coordinated Control in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-13, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Andy Choi & Franco Papandrea & Jeff Bennett, 2007. "Assessing cultural values: developing an attitudinal scale," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 31(4), pages 311-335, December.
    2. Phu Nguyen-Van & Anne Stenger & Tuyen Tiet, 2021. "Social incentive factors in interventions promoting sustainable behaviors: A meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(12), pages 1-27, December.
    3. Rahman, Mohammad Lutfur & Baker, Douglas, 2018. "Modelling induced mode switch behaviour in Bangladesh: A multinomial logistic regression approach," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 81-91.
    4. Petschnig, Martin & Heidenreich, Sven & Spieth, Patrick, 2014. "Innovative alternatives take action – Investigating determinants of alternative fuel vehicle adoption," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 68-83.
    5. Gkargkavouzi, Anastasia & Halkos, George & Matsiori, Steriani, 2019. "How do motives and knowledge relate to intention to perform environmental behavior? Assessing the mediating role of constraints," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 1-1.
    6. Pronello, Cristina & Camusso, Cristian, 2011. "Travellers’ profiles definition using statistical multivariate analysis of attitudinal variables," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 19(6), pages 1294-1308.
    7. Kim, Seheon & Rasouli, Soora, 2022. "The influence of latent lifestyle on acceptance of Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS): A hierarchical latent variable and latent class approach," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 304-319.
    8. Hasan Fehmi Topal & Dexter V. L. Hunt & Christopher D. F. Rogers, 2021. "Exploring Urban Sustainability Understanding and Behaviour: A Systematic Review towards a Conceptual Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-33, January.
    9. Bouscasse, H., 2018. "Integrated choice and latent variable models: A literature review on mode choice," Working Papers 2018-07, Grenoble Applied Economics Laboratory (GAEL).
    10. Wang, Tingting & Chen, Cynthia, 2012. "Attitudes, mode switching behavior, and the built environment: A longitudinal study in the Puget Sound Region," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 46(10), pages 1594-1607.
    11. Choi, Andy S., 2011. "Implicit prices for longer temporary exhibitions in a heritage site and a test of preference heterogeneity: A segmentation-based approach," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 511-519.
    12. Massfeller, Anna & Meraner, Manuela & Hüttel, Silke & Uehleke, Reinhard, 2022. "Farmers' acceptance of results-based agri-environmental schemes: A German perspective," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    13. Mikkel Thorhauge & Elisabetta Cherchi & Joan L. Walker & Jeppe Rich, 2019. "The role of intention as mediator between latent effects and behavior: application of a hybrid choice model to study departure time choices," Transportation, Springer, vol. 46(4), pages 1421-1445, August.
    14. repec:grz:wpsses:2021-05 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Jennifer Roberts & Gurleen Popli & Rosemary J. Harris, 2018. "Do environmental concerns affect commuting choices?: hybrid choice modelling with household survey data," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 181(1), pages 299-320, January.
    16. Philippe Coent & Raphaële Préget & Sophie Thoyer, 2021. "Farmers Follow the Herd: A Theoretical Model on Social Norms and Payments for Environmental Services," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 78(2), pages 287-306, February.
    17. Tiening Cui & Mengdie He, 2023. "Study on the Influence of Social Norms and Public Orientation on Domestic Waste Classification Behavior-Taking Beijing’s Garbage Classification as an Example," Advances in Management and Applied Economics, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 13(2), pages 1-3.
    18. Tran, Yen & Yamamoto, Toshiyuki & Sato, Hitomi & Miwa, Tomio & Morikawa, Takayuki, 2020. "The analysis of influences of attitudes on mode choice under highly unbalanced mode share patterns," Journal of choice modelling, Elsevier, vol. 36(C).
    19. Kavta, Kuldeep & Goswami, Arkopal K., 2022. "Estimating mode choice of motorized two-wheeler commuters under the influence of combined travel demand management measures: An ICLV modeling approach," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 327-335.
    20. Van Acker, Veronique & Mokhtarian, Patricia L. & Witlox, Frank, 2014. "Car availability explained by the structural relationships between lifestyles, residential location, and underlying residential and travel attitudes," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 88-99.
    21. Bouscasse, H. & Bonnel, P., 2016. "Socio-psychological determinants of mode choice habits," Working Papers 2016-05, Grenoble Applied Economics Laboratory (GAEL).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:17:p:9301-:d:628360. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.