Predicting pro-environmental behaviours: the role of environmental values, attitudes and knowledge

Purpose This study aims to investigate the effect of prosocial values on pro-environmental behaviours via attitudes in which environmental knowledge and proself values moderate the relationship. This study also examines the application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Cognitive Dissonance. Design/methodology/approach This study employed a quantitative method to examine potential positive or negative moderating effects of environmental knowledge and proself values on environmental attitudes and behaviour. Participants were undergraduate students recruited from a state university in the eastern part of Indonesia. The online survey link was randomly sent to 500 students in 14 different Faculties with a response rate of 57% (285) participants (80% female). Data were analysed using a moderated-mediation regression technique. Findings The results suggested that only biospheric value positively affected pro-environmental behaviours. Environmental knowledge negatively moderated the relationship between prosocial values and environmental attitudes. Similarly, high egoistic value potentially reduced the effect of environmental attitude on pro-environmental behaviours. Environmental knowledge could impede the positive impacts of prosocial values while egoistic value negates the effect of attitude on pro-environmental attitude. Research limitations/implications Although the findings supported most hypotheses, this study did not control the effect of some demographic variables such as education and social-economic status. Participants tended to share some similar characteristics, which potentially influenced the results. Originality/value This study challenged some common antecedents of pro-environmental behaviours and offered some alternative explanations. This study has offered a new insight in understanding unique interactions among values, knowledge and attitude.