International Social Survey Program (ISSP) environment dataset modules: Open data and its applicability in PLS-SEM Research

Abstract

This data article is based on the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) Environment III Dataset and linked to a publication in Ecological Economics, in which we developed a model for explaining and predicting sustainable consumption behavior of Europeans using data of nine participating countries. In our study, we find that sustainable consumption behavior can be associated with environmental concern, which is influenced by increased levels of environmental knowledge and environmental risk perception. In this companion data article, we describe the usefulness, value, and relevance of the open ISSP dataset and take our linked article as an example. The data are publicly available via the GESIS-website (gesis.org). The dataset consists of individual-based interviews on the respondents’ perceptions regarding a variety of social matters, such as the environment, which we argue is especially suitable for PLS-SEM applications (for example, to conduct cross-sectional analyses).

Keywords

• Social science data
• Open dataset
• PLS-SEM
• Structural equation modeling
• Transparency