Political values, patriotism, institutional trust and connectedness to nature predict environmental attitudes and pro-environmental behaviour

Psyecology. 2023. Vol. 14. No. 2. P. 244–296.

Agissova F., Ivanova A., Sautkina E.

This study is the first in Russia to examine how political values, institutional trust and patriotism, as well as connectedness to nature, environmental concern and environmental knowledge, predict five types of pro-environmental behaviour. The data of 462 Russians (56.7% female, mean age 36.73) was analysed using multiple regression and structural equation modelling. The model explained 30% of variance in social pro-environmental behaviour, 17% in sustainable purchasing, 13% in waste management, 11% in resource conservation and only 3% in climate-relevant action. First, each of the studied behaviour types had their unique predictors. The only common predictor of all five behaviour types was connectedness to nature. Egoistic environmental concern predicted sustainable purchasing and biospheric concern predicted resource conservation. Environmental knowledge predicted recycling behaviour. Institutional trust positively predicted social behaviour. Political value of free enterprise negatively predicted resource conservation. The findings and their practical implications, as well as future research directions, are discussed.

Keywords: патриотизм, политические ценности, проэкологическое поведение, patriotism, political values, Институциональное доверие, pro-environmental behavior, institutional trust, связь с природой, nature connectedness