Elaborating on Gender Differences in Environmentalism - Statistical Data Included

Journal of Social Issues, Fall, 2000 by Lynnette C. Zelezny, Poh-Pheng Chua, Christina Aldrich

A four-page questionnaire was designed to assess students' demographic characteristics, general environmental attitudes, value-based environmental attitudes, and proenvironmental behaviors. General environmental attitudes were measured using the revised 15-item NEP Scale (Dunlap et al., 2000), which includes a 5-point Likert response scale that ranges from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree). Value-based environmental attitudes were measured using 14 items from Thompson and Barton's (1994) scale. Of particular interest here were value-based ecocentric environmental attitudes, which reflect the belief that the environment should be preserved because of the intrinsic value of the biosphere and of all living things. Specifically, value-based ecocentric environmental attitudes were measured by seven items (items 2, 5, 7, 26, 30, 32, and 33 from Thompson & Barton's scale) using a 5-point Likert response scale that ranged from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree). Environmental behaviors were measur ed by 12 questions designed by the current authors that asked about students' past participation (i.e., daily, weekly, and monthly) in proenvironmental behaviors (e.g., political activism, recycling, energy conservation, water conservation, purchasing environmentally safe products, and using public transportation). These behavioral items included a 5-point Likert-type response scale. Finally, demographic characteristics (e.g., gender, age, socioeconomic status, education, and strength of religious beliefs) were assessed using a combination of response scales (categorical choice [gender, age, education], religious beliefs).

The questionnaire was pilot tested, translated from English to Spanish, and translated back from Spanish to English to maximize measurement validity. Questionnaires were group-administered in classes. Students participated voluntarily. Neither the students nor the contacts were monetarily compensated for participation, although in some cases students were given extra credit in courses.

We used descriptive and inferential statistical techniques to test our hypotheses. We predicted that, compared to males, females across countries would report significantly stronger environmental attitudes as measured by the NEP Scale. Our prediction was partly supported.

Using descriptive analysis, we found that interesting patterns in NEP environmental attitudes emerged. Females reported higher NEP environmental attitudes than males in 10 of the 14 countries (Argentina, Canada, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, and the United States); males had higher NEP environmental attitudes than females in 3 of the 14 countries (Colombia, Ecuador, and El Salvador); and males and females did not differ on NEP environmental attitudes in 1 of the 14 countries (Venezuela). We found that females overall in our 14-country sample reported significantly stronger NEP environmental attitudes than males, F(1, 1870) 4.24, p [less than] .001. When we analyzed gender differences by country, however, which substantially reduced our statistical power, we found significant gender differences in NEP environmental attitudes only in the United States.