This paper by Stern et al (1999) on public support for environmentalism examines two value bases for environmental concern — altruism and self-interest — and two major value types — Conservation (traditional) values and Openness to Change — for evidence of effects on "non-activist support" for the environmental movement. It found that such support can be usefully divided into three dimensions: consumer behavior, environmental citizenship, and policy support oracceptance. Personal proenvironmental norms — the belief that the individual and other social actors have an obligation toalleviate environmental problems — are the only social-psychological element common to all three types of non-activistenvironmentalism. Other social-psychological theories may still provideuseful insights into specific types of non-activist environmentalism,particularly environmental citizenship.
