The Measurement And Characteristics Of Environmental Attitude Of Undergraduates

Since 1950s, as a result of dramatic increase of the world population and rapid development of science and technology, human ability to conquer and transform the nature has improved unprecedentedly. With the rapid accumulation of material wealth, Environmental issues have become an obstacle to the development of human society, which attained general concern of all humanity. Faced with the reality of the deteriorating environment, people realize the necessity to find reasons from themselves. Environmental attitude appeared as a scientific concept in the 1970s, affected by the opinion of traditional psychology that attitudes determine behaviors. Environmental attitude is a way of thinking and a value. The popularity and increase environmental attitudes have become the yardstick of modern civilization. In order to improve the ecological environment and achieve sustainable development of society, many countries, especially developed countries, have taken measures to strengthen environmental education and to develop positive civic environmental attitudes. China as the biggest developing country in the world and also an environmental power is experiencing unprecedented environmental problems. Only a systematic and objective understanding of the environmental attitude of the general public can address the problem to formulate a positive and effective policies and measures to gradually form a positive and responsible environmental behavior, so as to effectively solve the recent environmental problems. However, currently domestic empirical study on the environmental attitudes is almost empty. Therefore researches of environmental attitudes with Chinese characteristics have important theoretical and practical significance. University students as actors, decision-makers, builders and creators in society in the future, is the most active groups in society, but also the most important driving force of environmental protection and sustainable development. Studying environmental attitudes of university students has become a urgency of the time.Value-basis theory proposed that each person has three different value targets:self, others and biosphere. Importance attached to these three objectives reflects three different values:egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric. Three value orientation lead to three different environmental attitudes: egocentric, altruistic, and biospheric environmental attitudes. Based on value-basis theory, we proposed the operational definition of environmental attitudes of university students:environmental attitudes refer to the beliefs, emotions and behavioral intentions on environmental issues held by individuals, from the egoistic, altruistic, or biospheric perspectives. An open questionnaire was designed according to the operational definition. Through analysis of 231 open questionnaires, we proposed the dimension concept of environmental attitudes, and finally we got a formal questionnaire of environmental attitude of university students, including 21 items. Exploratory factor analysis of 242 initial questionnaires and confirmatory factor analysis of 700 data resulted a three factor model, which was consistent with the initial dimension concept. Reliability and validity were examined by internal consistency coefficient, content validity and construct validity.700 data were studied to find out characteristics of environmental attitudes of university students. Results showed that (1) environmental attitudes of university students was consist of three factors, namely egocentric, altruistic and biospheric; (2) questionnaire of environmental attitudes of university students has good reliability and validity and can be used as an effective measurement of environmental attitudes of university students; (3) generally, university students have positive environment attitudes. There was a significant difference between male and female in the dimension of egocentric, female scored more than male; significant education difference appeared in both dimensions of altruistic and biospheric, university students scored more than college students; there was no significant difference in major; There was a significant difference among students from different growth backgrounds, and students from towns or cities scored more than those from rural areas; family incomes matter in both dimensions of egocentric and altruistic, students of higher family incomes scored significantly more than those of lower family incomes.