680
Views
90
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Reports & Research

Testing a Conceptual Framework of Responsible Environmental Behavior

Pages 17-27 | Published online: 31 Mar 2010
 

Abstract

Maryland boat owners (N = 291) in the Chesapeake Bay region were surveyed to examine predictors of general responsible environmental behavior (GREB), representing pro-environmental action on a general level, and specific responsible environmental behavior (SREB), indicated by the percentage of raw sewage boaters discharged from recreational vessels in a sewage pumpout station (SPS). A conceptual framework of responsible environmental behavior, adapted from prior environmental education research, was used as a guide for this investigation. Nineteen independent variables categorized as sociodemographic variables, boating background variables, general environmental variables, specific-issue variables, and situational factors to SPS usage constituted the indicators hypothesized to predict behavior. A stepwise multiple regression analysis yielded 8 predictors of SREB (percentage of waste pumped in a pumpout station) that explained 46% of the total variance. Surprisingly, 3 background variables, including education (EDUC), boat length (BOATL), and years of boating experience (YBEXP), were predictors of specific behavior. Environmental concern (CONCERN), representing the pool of general environmental variables, was a moderate predictor. As expected, the specific-issue category of variables, including knowledge of water pollution issues (KWPI), knowledge of dumping in bay regulations (KDBAYR), knowledge of dumping offshore regulations (KDOFFR), and awareness of the consequences of raw sewage on water quality (AWARE) contributed most to the variance explained (R 2 = .262) in the percentage of waste pumped in an SPS.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Alan R. Graefe

Stuart P. Cottrell is an assistant professor of leisure studies at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia. Alan R. Graefe is an associate professor in the leisure studies program at the School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Recreation Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.