TY - JOUR
T1 - What makes you a ‘hero’ for nature? Socio-psychological profiling of leaders committed to nature and biodiversity protection across seven EU countries
AU - Scopelliti, Massimiliano
AU - Molinario, Erica
AU - Bonaiuto, Flavia
AU - Bonnes, Mirilia
AU - Cicero, Lavinia
AU - De Dominicis, Stefano
AU - Fornara, Ferdinando
AU - Admiraal, Jeroen
AU - Beringer, Almut
AU - Dedeurwaerdere, Tom
AU - de Groot, Wouter
AU - Hiedanpää, Juha
AU - Knights, Paul
AU - Knippenberg, Luuk
AU - Polajnar Horvat, Katarina
AU - Popa, Florin
AU - Porras-Gomez, Carmen
AU - Smrekar, Aleš
AU - Soethe, Nathalie
AU - Vivero-Pol, Jose Luis
AU - van den Born, Riyan
AU - Bonaiuto, Marino
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - Biodiversity loss is a widely debated world problem, with huge economic, social, and environmentally negative consequences. Despite the relevance of this issue, the psychological determinants of committed action towards nature and biodiversity have rarely been investigated. This study aims at identifying a comprehensive social-psychological profile of activists committed to biodiversity protection and at understanding what determinants best predict their activism. A questionnaire investigating relevant social-psychological constructs identified in the literature on environmental activism was administered to 183 outstanding leaders (vs. non-leaders) in biodiversity protection across seven EU countries. Leaders (vs. non-leaders) in biodiversity protection showed, among other constructs, higher scores on environmental values, attitudes, identity, perceived control, a feeling of union and spirituality with nature, and willingness to sacrifice for their cause. Results are discussed within the theoretical framework of a motivation model of committed action for nature and biodiversity protection. Applications of the results are also proposed.
AB - Biodiversity loss is a widely debated world problem, with huge economic, social, and environmentally negative consequences. Despite the relevance of this issue, the psychological determinants of committed action towards nature and biodiversity have rarely been investigated. This study aims at identifying a comprehensive social-psychological profile of activists committed to biodiversity protection and at understanding what determinants best predict their activism. A questionnaire investigating relevant social-psychological constructs identified in the literature on environmental activism was administered to 183 outstanding leaders (vs. non-leaders) in biodiversity protection across seven EU countries. Leaders (vs. non-leaders) in biodiversity protection showed, among other constructs, higher scores on environmental values, attitudes, identity, perceived control, a feeling of union and spirituality with nature, and willingness to sacrifice for their cause. Results are discussed within the theoretical framework of a motivation model of committed action for nature and biodiversity protection. Applications of the results are also proposed.
KW - Activism
KW - Biodiversity
KW - Motivation
KW - Nature
KW - social psychology
U2 - 10.1080/09640568.2017.1421526
DO - 10.1080/09640568.2017.1421526
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85042215894
SN - 0964-0568
VL - 61
SP - 970
EP - 993
JO - Journal of Environmental Planning and Management
JF - Journal of Environmental Planning and Management
IS - 5-6
ER -