Egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric environmental concerns: Measurement and structure

Measurement issues and structure of environmental concerns (ECs) were assessed in two studies. The findings have theoretical and practical implications for research into ECs, and for applications of the valueâ\u80\u93beliefâ\u80\u93norm (extended norm activation) theory. Study 1 compared two different scales used in previous research to measure beliefs about adverse consequences (ACs), or concerns, for egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric-valued objects. A group of participants completed both scales. The ECs scale was shown to be more reliable and to have much clearer dimensionality than the AC Beliefs scale. In Study 2, the structure of ECs was tested, using structural equation modelling. The three-factor structure, of the valueâ\u80\u93beliefâ\u80\u93norm theory, fitted the data better than two different two-factor models. It was demonstrated, however, that a four-factor structure, including two separate biospheric concerns of plant and animal, gave the best fit to the data. This structure is discussed in relation to degree of otherness. It was also demonstrated that socialâ\u80\u93altruistic concerns are more closely allied to egoistic concerns (as human, or anthropocentric, concerns) than they are to biospheric concerns (as general altruistic concerns)

Factors influencing attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help among South Asian students in Britain

The present study examined the associations between attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help (ATSPPH), adherence to Asian values, cultural mistrust, and salience of ethnic identity in a sample of South Asian university students in Britain. A total of 148 participants completed a survey consisting of measures of the afore-mentioned variables, and provided their demographic details. Preliminary analyses showed that women held significantly more positive ATSPPH than men (  = 0.51); there were also small differences between participants of Indian, Pakistani, and other South Asian descent. Further analyses revealed that ATSPPH was significantly predicted by ethnic identity, cultural mistrust, and adherence to Asian values, once the effects of participant sex and ethnicity had been partialled out. The implications of these results for promoting mental health care utilisation among South Asian students are discussed in conclusion

Personality, individual differences, and demographic antecedents of self-reported household waste management behaviours

The present study sought to extend recent conceptual frameworks of waste management behaviours by examining personality, individual differences, and socio-demographic antecedents of self-reported waste recycling, reuse, and reduction behaviours. A total of 203 participants from a British community sample completed a questionnaire consisting of measures of their self-reported waste management behaviour, Machiavellianism, political cynicism, the Big Five personality traits, and socio-demographics. The results of structural equation modelling showed that individuals who were less Machiavellian, less politically cynical, older, and more conscientious were more likely to report positive waste management behaviours. In combination, these predictors explained 22.0% of the variance in waste management behaviours. Thus, these variables may improve the predictive validity of existing conceptual models of waste management behaviours. The results are discussed in relation to those models