An examination of environmental orientation, behaviors and perceived barriers in relationship to social structural variables
Although environmental issues often rank as being of high importance to the public, individual behaviors to decrease harm to the environment are not performed on a regular basis. This research was conducted to develop a tool that can be used to measure environmental orientation, barriers to engagement in pro-environmental behaviors, and current environmental behaviors. Residents of the Wichita community were asked to participate in this research (N = 756). The underlying dimensions were analyzed using factor analysis and canonical correlation was performed to gain an understanding of how cognitions about the environment (environmental orientation and barriers) relate to performance of pro-environmental behavior. The impact of social structural variables on these constructs was also analyzed. Information on future research and how this information can inform future initiatives to increase environmental sustainability in communities are discussed.
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