Rhead, R, Elliot, M and Upham, P orcid.org/0000-0003-1998-4698 (2018) Using latent class analysis to produce a typology of environmental concern in the UK. Social Science Research, 74. pp. 210-222. ISSN 0049-089X
Abstract
Factor analysis is often used to study environmental concern. This choice of methodology is driven by predominant theories that tie environmental attitudes to the multidimensional construct of environmental concern. This paper demonstrates that using a clustering method such as latent class analysis can be a valuable tool for studying environmental attitudes as they exist within a given population. In making the case for the value of latent class analysis in this context, we examine UK public concern for the environment and how this concern is associated with pro-environmental behaviours. To do this we use responses to DEFRA's 2009 Survey of Public Attitudes and Behaviours towards the Environment, which is still the most nationally representative survey of its type in the UK. Grouping respondents according to homogenous response patterns, we identify four classes of people, defined by their concern for the environment: Pro-environment, Neutral Majority, Disengaged and Paradoxical. To understand how these attitude classes are associated with behaviour and socio-economic status, class membership probability is regressed onto education, income and social grade, as well as 16 measures of environmental behaviour related to transport, food, recycling and home energy conservation. The results contradict most previous research with the environmental attitude classes by being highly predictive of environmental behaviour.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | (c) 2018, Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. This is an author produced version of a a paper published in Social Science Research. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Earth and Environment (Leeds) > Sustainability Research Institute (SRI) (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 17 Jul 2018 12:22 |
Last Modified: | 12 Jun 2019 00:43 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2018.06.001 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:133378 |
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Filename: UK Environmental Concern - LCA Paper.pdf
Licence: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0