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Environmental Attitudes and Environmental Behavior—Which Is the Horse and Which Is the Cart?

Author

Listed:
  • Efrat Eilam

    (School of Education, Institute of Sustainability and Innovation (ISI), Victoria University, P.O. Box 14428, Melbourne, Victoria 8001, Australia)

  • Tamar Trop

    (Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel)

Abstract

The present article challenges the prevailing perception in the field of environmental education that acquisition of environmental behavior is an ultimate goal of the educational process, in comparison to acquisition of environmental attitudes, which is perceived as a minor goal. The article presents a compilation of results obtained from two studies that shed new light on the relationship between influences on environmental attitudes and influences on environmental behavior. The results suggest that: (a) among adults, the strategies required for influencing attitudes are different from those required for influencing behaviors; (b) the mechanisms for achieving influence among children are different from those among adults; and (c) conventional educational approaches, such as behavior modification, can influence behavior more easily than they can influence attitudes. The results provide grounds for questioning the prevailing belief that individual acquisition of responsible environmental behavior can drive changes on the global political scale. We suggest increasing the focus of environmental education on construction of attitudes.

Suggested Citation

  • Efrat Eilam & Tamar Trop, 2012. "Environmental Attitudes and Environmental Behavior—Which Is the Horse and Which Is the Cart?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 4(9), pages 1-37, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:4:y:2012:i:9:p:2210-2246:d:20098
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    Cited by:

    1. Jose Ramon Saura & Ana Reyes-Menendez & Cesar Alvarez-Alonso, 2018. "Do Online Comments Affect Environmental Management? Identifying Factors Related to Environmental Management and Sustainability of Hotels," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-20, August.
    2. Robert Inkpen & Brian Baily, 2020. "Environmental beliefs and their role in environmental behaviours of undergraduate students," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 10(1), pages 57-67, March.
    3. Colmore S. Christian & Santosh K. Ojha & Berneece S. Herbert, 2018. "Minority High School Students in Non-Math-Science-Oriented and Math-Science-Oriented Majors: Do They View the Environment Differently?," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 7(8), pages 1-16, August.
    4. Daniel G. J. Kuchinka & Szilvia Balazs & Marius Dan Gavriletea & Borivoje-Boris Djokic, 2018. "Consumer Attitudes toward Sustainable Development and Risk to Brand Loyalty," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-25, March.
    5. Chunkui Zhu & Peishan Tong & Zhiping Song, 2021. "A Bibliometric and Visual Analysis of Environmental Behavior Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-19, September.
    6. Claudio Siminelli, 2017. "Consumer behaviours and attitudes towards a circular economy: Knowledge and culture as determinants in a four-market analysis," ECONOMICS AND POLICY OF ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2017(1-2), pages 135-169.
    7. Chuanhui Liao & Hui Li, 2019. "Environmental Education, Knowledge, and High School Students’ Intention toward Separation of Solid Waste on Campus," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-15, May.
    8. Tea Golob & Matej Makarovič, 2022. "Meta-Reflexivity as a Way toward Responsible and Sustainable Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-18, April.
    9. Praveen Saulick & Girish Bekaroo & Chandradeo Bokhoree & Yashna Devi Beeharry, 2024. "Investigating pro-environmental behaviour among students: towards an integrated framework based on the transtheoretical model of behaviour change," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 6751-6780, March.
    10. Marta Cholewa-Wiktor, 2021. "The Concept of Sustainable Development in the Curriculum of the Medical Universities in Poland," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 1), pages 72-86.
    11. Matthew T. Ballew & Allen M. Omoto & Patricia L. Winter, 2015. "Using Web 2.0 and Social Media Technologies to Foster Proenvironmental Action," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(8), pages 1-29, August.
    12. Sorin Popescu & Diana Rusu & Mihai Dragomir & Daniela Popescu & Șerban Nedelcu, 2019. "Competitive Development Tools in Identifying Efficient Educational Interventions for Improving Pro-Environmental and Recycling Behavior," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-25, December.
    13. repec:ers:journl:v:xxiv:y:2021:i:special2:p:72-86 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Ifeanyi N. Chukwu & Osita E. Uzonnah & Francis O. Uzuegbunam & Eziyi O. Ibem, 2025. "Assessment of public attitude towards green infrastructure and its predictors in urban areas of Ebonyi State, southeast Nigeria," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(1), pages 1097-1119, January.
    15. Upham, Paul & Carney, Sebastian & Klapper, Rita, 2014. "Scaffolding, software and scenarios: Applying Bruner's learning theory to energy scenario development with the public," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 131-142.
    16. Elisabeth Donat & Barbara Mataloni & Edma Ajanovic, 2025. "Challenges to Inclusive and Sustainable Societies: Exploring the Polarizing Potential of Attitudes Towards Climate Change and Non-Heteronormative Forms of Living in Austria, Italy, Poland, and Sweden," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-20, February.
    17. Abayomi Samuel Oyekale, 2018. "Determinants of households’ involvement in waste separation and collection for recycling in South Africa," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 20(5), pages 2343-2371, October.
    18. Syndhia Mathé & Hélène Rey-Valette, 2015. "Local Knowledge of Pond Fish-Farming Ecosystem Services: Management Implications of Stakeholders’ Perceptions in Three Different Contexts (Brazil, France and Indonesia)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(6), pages 1-23, June.
    19. Efrat Eilam & Georgia E. Garrard, 2017. "Perception of Space among Children Studying Their Local Grasslands: Examining Attitudes and Behavioural Intentions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-17, September.
    20. Jose Ramon Saura & Pedro Palos-Sanchez & Miguel Angel Rios Martin, 2018. "Attitudes Expressed in Online Comments about Environmental Factors in the Tourism Sector: An Exploratory Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-20, March.
    21. Adedotun Ayodele Dipeolu & Eziyi Offia Ibem & Joseph Akinlabi Fadamiro & Gabriel Fadairo, 2021. "Factors influencing residents’ attitude towards urban green infrastructure in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 6192-6214, April.
    22. Al-Amin Md. & Akter Refa & Akter Ayesha & Uddin Md. Aftab & Mamun Abdullah Al, 2021. "Socially Responsible Human Resource Management and Voluntary Environmental Behavior: Moderating the Effect of Ecocentric Leadership," Journal of Management and Business Administration. Central Europe, Sciendo, vol. 29(2), pages 147-168, June.
    23. Iván Zsolt Berze & Attila Varga & Ferenc Mónus & Katalin Néder & Andrea Dúll, 2022. "Measuring Environmental Worldviews: Investigating the Dimensionality of the New Environmental Paradigm Scale for Children in a Large Central European Sample," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-17, April.
    24. Mketo, Ally Rajab & Ringo, Cliford J. & Nuhu, Said & Mpambije, Chakupewa Joseph, 2022. "Enhancing community participation for environmental health improvement in rural Tanzania: Evidence from Bukombe district," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    25. Umukoro Stirruph & Ogbaneme Solomon Omokhudu & MUSTAPHA Abdullai Buddy, 2025. "Analysis of the Complexities of the Attitude-Behaviour Relations: A Guide for Sustainable Consumption in Emerging Economies," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(3), pages 3148-3158, March.

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