Search Results (104)

Previous research provides valuable insight into energy knowledge, attitudes, and behavior in the context of energy literacy. However, a research gap exists in dealing with a comprehensive understanding of complex relationships on energy-related attributes for adolescents. In this aspect, utilizing the framework of the Value–Belief–Norm (VBN) theory, this study highlighted these complex relationships for the selected adolescents as potential future energy consumers and future decision makers. Participants of the study were a total of 530 8th-grade students attending public schools located in a district of Istanbul, Türkiye. To test the hypothesized connections among the latent constructs, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was performed. This dataset demonstrates that altruistic values develop pro-environmental beliefs and awareness of consequences directly, but ascribed responsibility indirectly. Interestingly, biospheric and egoistic values showed no significant influence. In line with VBN theory, these students with more strong beliefs about human-nature interdependence develop an awareness of the consequences of their own actions and ascribed responsibility. The finalized model reveals that the relevant behaviors were linked to personal norms that could be positively explained by pro-environmental beliefs, awareness of consequences, and ascribed responsibility. These adolescents believing in the severity of global warming, while focusing on human well-being could be active in creating sustainable energy consumption patterns. This research provides valuable insight into strategies for promoting behavior aimed at reducing the persistent rise in energy consumption. Full article

The environmentally responsible behavior (ERB) of visitors within forested national parks is critical for balancing biodiversity conservation and sustainable recreation. While the Value–Belief–Norm (VBN) model has been widely used to explain ERB, it has rarely incorporated context-specific value perceptions, such as assigned value. This study extends the VBN model by integrating this construct and examines its role in shaping visitors’ pro-environmental intentions. Taking Qianjiangyuan National Park in China as a case study, we incorporate visitors’ perception of the social value derived from the park’s forest-based ecosystem services into an expanded VBN framework. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results show that assigned value positively influences ERB intention; pro-environmental personal norms are the strongest direct predictor (β = 0.426); and biospheric value, egoistic value, and personal norms significantly foster assigned value formation, whereas altruistic value shows no significant effect. These findings highlight the importance of integrating situational, forest-specific value perceptions into behavioral models and offer management insights for promoting ERB intention through value-congruent communication in forest recreation settings. Full article

The Carbon Generalized System of Preferences (CGSP), theoretically rooted in value co-creation, serves as a vital policy tool for household carbon mitigation, yet faces an awareness-behavior gap during implementation. In this study, theoretical and empirical analyses were conducted to reveal the dual-pathway mechanism underlying the residents’ participation in the CGSP. The findings demonstrate that the residents’ participation behavior is positively influenced by the two-way communication between government and residents, as well as the residents’ sense of responsibility. Specifically, these two factors can also enhance participation by fostering egoistic and altruistic values, respectively. Notably, face culture weakens the positive effects of both values on participation, which embodies the paradigm conflict between traditional cultural and modern environmental governance systems. Residents with higher work happiness and women demonstrate significantly higher participation rates. The findings yield three policy recommendations for enhancing CGSP participation and operational sustainability. Full article

Ecological citizenship offers a framework for understanding how individuals translate environmental knowledge and concern into civic environmental engagement. However, the cultural mechanisms shaping this process remain understudied, particularly in Libya and comparable socio-cultural contexts. This study examines how environmental concern and the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) influence ecological citizenship and the extent to which cultural factors mediate these relationships in Libya. Using a quantitative design, data were collected from 509 adults through validated scales measuring ecological citizenship, environmental concern, the NEP, and cultural values. The statistical analysis results show that environmental concern positively predicts ecological citizenship, with altruistic and biospheric concerns exerting the strongest effects. While the NEP correlates positively with ecological citizenship, its direct impact becomes non-significant when cultural factors are introduced. Cultural values, particularly religiosity, family orientation, generosity, and interdependence, demonstrate strong positive associations with ecological citizenship and mediate the effects of both the NEP and environmental concern, while materialism shows an inverse relationship. The findings of this research highlight that ecological citizenship is shaped not only by environmental attitudes but also by culturally embedded norms and values. Full article

This paper investigates travellers’ intentions, with regard to preferences for a green and/or ethical hotel, boycotting hotels accused of extreme environmental damages or over-exploitation of workers, and sharing relevant information on social media. Questioning the claim that intentions to prefer a green hotel are based mainly or even solely on practical criteria, this study focuses on examining the influencing power of values. The Values-Beliefs-Norms model was employed and modified as the New Environmental Paradigm was replaced by climate change risk perception. Personal interviews were conducted with consumers in the urban area of Thessaloniki, Greece, using a structured questionnaire for data collection. Area sampling, in combination with quota sampling, in terms of gender and age, was used. Results provided that egoistic and altruistic values were excluded from the final structural model, and just biospheric values indicated a statistically significant positive relationship with Risk Perception. The other hypothesised consecutive relationships between Biospheric Values (BV), Risk Perception (RP), Awareness of Consequences (AC), Ascription of Responsibility (AR), Personal Norms (PN) and Intentions (Int) were found to be statistically significant and positive. Overall, 80.9% of the variance in Intentions was explained, while Personal Norms indicated the stronger impact on Intentions among all other relationships in the chain. Eventually, theoretical and practical implications, as well as future research directions, are suggested. Full article

This study examines the psychosocial factors predicting municipal solid waste separation in Italy, applying and extending a model originally developed for Southern regions. The model integrates the Theory of Reasoned Action and the Value-Belief-Norm framework to explain how values, norms, and attitudes shape waste separation intentions and behaviours. Using data from 321 online survey respondents, this study tests the model’s validity in Northern Italy. Additionally, the study examines the relationships among the variables under investigation in people residing in the Northern and Southern regions of Italy. Findings confirm the model (χ² (10) = 28.118, p = 0.002, CFI = 0.956; RMSEA = 0.075; AIC = 8.118): bio-altruistic values and social norms significantly predict positive attitudes, which in turn determine behavioural intentions. Perceived distributive unfairness is negatively associated with attitudes toward waste separation. Separation behaviour is mainly influenced by internal attributions and knowledge, while egoistic values show a negative relationship. The multi-group analysis indicates a good model fit for both Northern and Southern samples (χ² (31) = 45.059, p = 0.049, CFI = 0.969; RMSEA = 0.053; AIC = −16.941), suggesting consistent psychosocial mechanisms. By integrating psychosocial insights with behavioural data, this research highlights the importance of knowledge, fairness, and social norms in promoting sustainable waste management. The findings provide practical guidance for policymakers and practitioners to design regionally communication and participation strategies that enhance the long-term sustainability of waste separation systems in Italy. Full article

Motivated by the Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax (GSTT) in the United States, we examine how varying estate tax rates by the heir’s age affects welfare. Methodologically, we introduce a parsimonious constant elasticity of substitution (CES) bequest utility that is markedly more tractable than the altruistic specifications commonly used in the literature, delivering closed-form optimal rules and transparent parameterization. Using this new framework, we provide a proof of concept showing how transfers from older to younger generations can enhance equilibrium welfare in a dynamically efficient economy à la Samuelson (1975). We embed the tractable bequest utility in a two-period overlapping-generations model with age-dependent estate tax schedules. Numerical exercises—parameterized to the fact that estate tax revenue is small relative to labor income taxation—indicate that lowering the tax rate on bequests to younger heirs (grandchildren) relative to older heirs (adult children) raises the present value of lifetime resources and overall welfare, effectively reversing the logic of the current GSTT. The findings highlight a practical avenue for implementing a “reverse social security” transfer from old to young that can improve welfare in dynamically efficient economies. Full article

Coastal lagoons are critical socio-ecological systems that face increasing anthropogenic pressures, threatening their sustainability. Understanding how different social actors value Nature’s Contributions to People (NCPs) is essential for developing effective and legitimate governance approaches. This study examines how sociodemographic characteristics and social roles influence plural valuations of NCPs in the Tres Palos lagoon, Mexico. We collected data from different social actor types across three coastal communities, assessing perception values, orientation values, and change projections for eight NCPs, with a focus on pattern identification and hypothesis generation rather than causal inference. Multiple Correspondence Analysis revealed that social actor type (decision-makers and residents) emerged as the primary factor differentiating NCP valuations. Decision-makers consistently rated regulating contributions (habitat creation, climate regulation, and soil formation) as highly important and projected future declines attributed to external pressures. In contrast, residents assigned lower importance to these contributions and anticipated stability through community restoration efforts. Sex also influenced value orientations, with women displaying more egoistic (self-interest) orientations toward habitat creation and the regulation of freshwater and coastal water quality, while men expressed altruistic (interest in others) orientations toward physical and psychological experiences, as well as habitat creation. These valuation mismatches reflect fundamentally different relationships with lagoon ecosystems: institutional regulatory perspectives versus experiential subsistence viewpoints. The divergent responsibility attributions and future projections create governance challenges that traditional top-down approaches cannot adequately address. Our findings underscore the need for reflexive governance frameworks that recognize value pluralism and foster inclusive spaces for dialogue among diverse knowledge systems. This research contributes to the growing literature on plural valuation while providing practical insights for coastal ecosystem management in the context of the Global South. Full article

Fairness reputation refers to the perception of others’ adherence to fair norms based on their behaviors. However, previous studies often rely on simple correlation and regression analyses without comparing cognition across roles in the ultimatum game (UG) and the dictator game (DG). Our study measured the categorical and two-dimensional cognitions (warmth-competence) of participants with different social value orientations toward proposers, responders, and dictators with varying fairness reputations. We found that proposers and dictators with fairness reputations were perceived more positively, and individualists could better distinguish between them. Regarding responders with fairness reputations, they were perceived as more fair, trustworthy, and competent, but less altruistic, cooperative, and warm. The social cognitive network of responders differed from those of proposers and dictators, with warmth cognition being central to three roles, supporting the warmth–competence model. This study highlighted the differential impact of fairness reputation in shaping social cognitions, providing insights into understanding social interactions. Full article

Background/Objectives: This pilot study aimed to investigate the relationship between salivary neuropeptides levels, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and altruism in a sample of medical students. Additionally, the study examined potential sex differences in these relationships. Methods: Sixty medical students (36.6% men, 63.3% women) provided saliva samples to measure oxytocin, α-MSH, β-endorphin, neurotensin, and substance P using a custom 5-plex human peptide assay. Participants completed the ACE Survey and Compassionate Love Scale for Humanity (CLS-H) Altruism Survey. Descriptive statistics characterized demographics and survey data, with out-of-range values adjusted to the standard curve maximum. Data normality was assessed with the Jarque–Bera test; due to non-normality, values were log-transformed. Differences between male and female salivary, ACE score, and CLS-H altruism score were tested using t-tests and Mann–Whitney U-tests, while correlations were evaluated with Pearson and Spearman coefficients. Results: The five neuropeptides, while highly correlated with each other, did not exhibit significant relationships with altruism, as measured by the CLS-H Altruism Survey. Finally, female participants demonstrated greater altruistic tendencies compared with male participants with marginal significance. Conclusions: While there were no significant relationships between the fives neuropeptides, ACEs, or altruism; women demonstrated higher levels of altruism compared with men. The data reported in this pilot study did not strongly support the conclusion that neuropeptides influence social behavior and trauma response. Furthermore, future studies with larger, more diverse samples and multiple time point measurements of neuropeptides could be beneficial to better understand the relationships between neuropeptides and any potential implications for mental health interventions. Full article

The contribution of meal kits to the waste problem has become a significant concern, leading consumers to demand sustainable practices from meal-kit companies. This study proposes a framework to understand customer behavior toward sustainable meal-kit brands that promote practices such as recycling and waste reduction. This study applies warm glow theory to investigate how pure and impure altruism affect consumers’ perceptions of a meal-kit brand’s sustainability, perceived price fairness, and continuance intention. The findings confirmed that meal-kit brands’ sustainable practices significantly enhanced consumers’ perceptions of brand sustainability, which in turn influenced their perceived price fairness and continuance intention. Furthermore, warm glow and altruistic values were found to significantly moderate the relationship between consumers’ perceptions of brand sustainability and their continuance intention. However, no significant moderating effects were observed between consumers’ perceptions of brand sustainability and perceived price fairness. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying consumer attitudes and behaviors toward meal-kit brands’ sustainability efforts. Full article

This study explores the role of egoistic and altruistic values on green real estate purchase intention among young consumers in Canada aged between 20 and 40 years. In addition, this study examines the mediating effects of pro-environmental self-identity between social consumption motivation and green real estate purchase intention. A quantitative cross-sectional research design with an explanatory nature is employed. A total of 432 participating consumers in Canada, comprising 44% men and 48% women, with a graduate educational background accounting for 46.7%, and the ages between 24 and 35 contributing 75.2%, were part of the study, and the data collection used a survey method with a purposive sampling, followed by a respondent-driven method. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed on the scales used for the study variables. A structural equational model and path analysis were conducted to derive the results, and the relationships were positive and significant. The study results infer the factors contributing to green real estate purchase intention, including altruistic value, egoistic value, social consumption motivation, and pro-environmental self-identity, with pro-environmental self-identity mediating the relationship. This study emphasizes the relevance of consumer values in real estate purchasing decisions, urging developers and marketers to prioritize ethical ideas, sustainable practices, and building a feeling of belonging and social connectedness. Offering eco-friendly amenities and green construction methods might attract clients, but creating a secure area for social interaction is critical. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first to explore the role of egoistic and altruistic values on purchase intention, mainly in the housing and real estate sector, with the target consumers being young consumers in Canada. Full article

This study examines how Generation Z’s values align with entrepreneurial orientation in the Fourth Sector (FS), which merges public, private, and non-profit dynamics to balance financial sustainability with socio-environmental impact. Using Structural Equation Modeling with Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS), we analyze the influence of economic–financial, biospheric, and altruistic values of the university students’ inclination toward entrepreneurship in the FS. The study draws on a convenience sample of 139 undergraduate students from the School of Economics and Business Sciences at the University of Extremadura, located in the Autonomous Community of Extremadura, Spain. Our findings reveal that economic–financial values are the strongest predictor, underscoring the enduring importance of financial viability in shaping entrepreneurial intent. Biospheric values also play a significant role, highlighting sustainability and environmental awareness as key motivators. While altruistic values exhibit a positive relationship with FS entrepreneurship, this effect is not statistically significant, indicating that Generation Z prioritizes economic and environmental considerations over pure altruism when engaging in this sector. These insights contribute to the understanding of how a group of university students from Generation Z approaches sustainable business models and provide strategic guidance for fostering entrepreneurship that effectively integrates financial sustainability with environmental responsibility. Specifically, Generation Z is expected to be particularly receptive to entrepreneurship initiatives focused on biodiversity conservation. Full article

Vietnam’s tourism sector has experienced rapid expansion, yielding significant economic gains, but also escalating environmental and socio-cultural challenges. This necessitates a shift toward sustainable tourism practices. This study develops and tests an integrative model combining the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Value–Belief–Norm (VBN) theory to investigate the Sustainable Consumption Behavior (SCB) of domestic travelers in Vietnam. Grounded in the country’s collectivist culture—characterized by a strong emphasis on communal values and social harmony—the research examines how rational decision-making and normative pressures jointly drive eco-friendly travel behaviors. Data were collected from 549 Vietnamese tourists through stratified sampling across three major regions, and were analyzed through a robust multi-step methodology, including Exploratory Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM), supplemented by regression analysis. The SEM results indicate that the proposed model accounts for 60.8% of the variance in SCB, underscoring its explanatory power. Within the TPB framework, Attitude, Subjective Norms, and Perceived Behavioral Control significantly predict Behavioral Intention, which, in turn, mediates their influence on SCB. In the VBN component, Environmental Awareness shapes Altruistic and Biospheric Values, fostering the New Environmental Paradigm and activating Personal Norms, which exert a direct effect on SCB. This direct influence of Personal Norms, bypassing Behavioral Intention, highlights the role of implicit moral obligations in Vietnam’s collectivist cultural context and challenges Western-centric behavioral models. Beyond these frameworks, Destination Attributes and Consumer Innovativeness emerge as critical direct predictors of SCB, with Destination Attributes showing the strongest effect. Mediation analyses confirm Behavioral Intention’s central role, while moderation tests reveal that gender and travel experience modulate TPB-based relationships, suggesting the value of targeted interventions. Theoretically, this study advances TPB–VBN integration by applying it to a collectivist setting, revealing how cultural norms amplify normative influences on sustainable behavior. Practically, it advocates for strategies such as community-driven initiatives leveraging Personal Norms, educational campaigns to enhance Perceived Behavioral Control, and sustainable destination management initiatives in locations like Da Nang and Ha Long Bay. While the cross-sectional design limits causal claims, the findings provide a foundation for future longitudinal studies and cross-cultural comparisons, particularly in other collectivist societies, potentially incorporating digital engagement and policy incentives as novel factors. Full article

This study explores the relationship between climate change awareness (CCA) and consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for urban short food chains (USFC), focusing on the mediating role of biospheric, egoistic, and altruistic environmental concerns. A structured questionnaire was conducted with 230 respondents in Tirana, Albania, and the results were analysed using the PROCESS macro in SPSS 25.0. The findings reveal that CCA increases all three environmental concerns; however, only the altruistic concern significantly mediates USFC participation, particularly by limiting food waste (effect size = 0.502, p = 0.002). In contrast, egoistic concern negatively affects WTP, highlighting a value–action gap in sustainable behaviour. Reducing ultra-processed food consumption emerges as a key driver of engagement, linking personal and environmental health to local food choices. Gender moderates these relationships; despite showing high ecological concern, women express lower WTP due to household and budgetary considerations. Supporting the model, the survey data show that 88% of respondents are willing to pay a premium, typically 10–20% more, for food products from their preferred origin, and 88% are also willing to participate in the Tirana USFC initiative. The highest WTP (30%) is reported among highly educated women with children aged three to five. These findings highlight the need for targeted urban food policies that account for sustainability’s psychological and demographic dimensions. Full article