The Study of Ecological Attitudes and Their Impact on Consumption of Energy

Abstract

One of the effective factors influencing the interaction of individuals with the environment is ecological attitudes which have a key role in forming and changing environmental behaviors. Due to the increasing consumption of energy resources in Iran, the intensive need for energy, the limits of resources, and other environmental problems, it is really needed to study the impact of ecological attitudes on environmental behaviors, especially those in the field of optimal energy consumption. Therefore, the main question of the article is: what effects do ecological attitudes have on the realization of optimal energy consumption behavior? To do this, the present paper is based on the paradigm of the ecological attitudes of Dunlap, Catton, and Van Liere. Research data was collected using a questionnaire and a statistical sample of 440 residents of Sanandaj City by cluster sampling. Questionnaire validity was assessed using the factor analysis technique and KMO calculation and its reliability was assessed by calculating Cronbach's alpha. The main hypothesis is confirmed that there is a significant relationship between ecological attitudes and energy consumption behaviors. In other words, in forming and changing behaviors directed to the consumption of energy, ecological attitudes are very influential. The findings also show that ecological attitudes have great importance among the consumers in Sanandaj City. This importance implies that these consumers devote enough space to environmental behaviors in their socio-cultural lifestyles and are aware that life has an important part to do with the environment.

Keywords

• ecological attitudes
• optimal energy consumption behaviors
• survey
• environmen