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Altruism, Self-Interest, and the Reasonable Person Model of Environmentally Responsible Behavior

University of Utah, julia.corbett{at}utah.edu

This study operationalized a new model of environmental behavior to test its utility in predicting the relatively difficult behavior of getting people out of their cars. The Reasonable Person Model of environmentally responsible behavior hypothesizes that a mix of self-interest, altruism, personal norms, desirable choices, and participatory problem solving are the best predictors of behavior. In a random sample telephone survey of drivers (N = 344) along the Wasatch Front, all independent variables were significantly correlated to behavior with the exception of one personal control measure. A multiple regression model found that 52 percent of the variance in environmentally responsible behavior was predicted by the independent variables (R² = .52, p < .001). However, none of the measures of personal control contributed significantly to the model.

Key Words: Reasonable Person Model • environment • behavior change • theory of planned behavior • environmental attitude • personal norm

Science Communication, Vol. 26, No. 4, 368-389 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/1075547005275425


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