Kleinelsen, Sarah (2022) The Influence of Educational Group Activities on Perceived Biospheric Group Values and Pro-Environmental Intentions. Master thesis, Psychology.
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Abstract
An important aspect of environmental psychological research is how to adequately design interventions that promote individual engagement in climate action. A recent approach is to address the issue that most people structurally underestimate the extent to which others endorse biospheric values, leading to climate inaction. The present study investigated whether participation in environmentally-related group activities encouraging dialogical exchange strengthens perceived group values (H1) and by that increases intentions to behave pro-environmentally (H2), especially if identification with the reference group is high (H3). Within a combination of laboratory and field study, a within-subjects design with three measurement waves (baseline, pre- and post-intervention) was implemented where n = 44 participants filled in the questionnaire for all waves. The central aim of the interventions was to encourage dialogical exchange on environmental topics. The data indicated a significant increase in perceived biospheric group values (supporting H1) but neither a significant relation between group values and behavioural intentions (not supporting H2) nor an interaction between perceived biospheric group values and identification (not supporting H3). This is in line with a recent study not finding a significant relation between perceived biospheric group values and pro-environmental behavioural intentions, despite earlier research indicating perceived group values to promote climate action. The present study thus emphasizes the need for empirical research investigating the inconsistent findings regarding the role of perceived group values in encouraging pro-environmental behaviour.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
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| Supervisor name: | Bouman, T. |
| Degree programme: | Psychology |
| Differentiation route: | Environmental Psychology (EP) [Master Psychology] |
| Date Deposited: | 17 Mar 2022 07:15 |
| Last Modified: | 17 Mar 2022 07:15 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/330 |
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