THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY SHELAH MARIE DARAP RECIDE TOPIC TITLE: THE ROLE OF EMOTION ON ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES: AN ASSESSMENT IN DEVELOPING PRO-ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIONS TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY BACHELOR THESIS Study Mode : Full-Time Major : Environmental Science in Management Faculty : International Training and Development Center Batch : 2011-2015 Thai Nguyen, September 2015 n APPROVAL SHEET This thesis entitled: “THE ROLE OF EMOTION ON ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES: AN ASSESSMENT IN DEVELOPING PRO-ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIONS TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY”, prepared, presented and submitted by SHELAH MARIE D. RECIDE in partial fulfillment of the requirements in the undergraduate degree in Environmental Science and Management has been examined and hereby recommended for approval and acceptance. Thai Nguyen, September 25, 2015 Supervisor A/Prof. HOANG VAN HUNG n BIOGRAPHICAL DATA Name: SHELAH MARIE DARAP RECIDE Address: BRGY.
PANDEÑO SINILOAN, LAGUNA PHILIPPINES Nationality: FILIPINO Date of Birth: SEPTEMBER 23, 1995 Place of Birth: STA. CRUZ, LAGUNA PHILIPPINES PARENTS: Father: REYNALDO S. RECIDE Mother: LEONORA D. RECIDE SIBLINGS: Brother: JHOVAN REY D.
RECIDE EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT: UNIVERSITY (2012-2016) Major: Bachelor of Environmental Science in Management Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry, Thai Nguyen City, Vietnam (Advanced Education Program from University of California, Davis, USA) SECONDARY (2008-2012) Curriculum: Special Agricultural Science Laguna State Polytechnic University, Siniloan Campus, Siniloan, Laguna PRIMARY (2002-2008) Angela Ong Javier Memorial Elementary School, Siniloan, Laguna ii n ABSTRACT Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry Degree Program Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management Student Name Shelah Marie D. Recide Student ID DTN1153110279 The Role of Emotion on Environmental Changes: An Assessment Thesis Title in Developing Pro-Environmental Actions Towards Environmental Sustainability Supervisor A/Prof. Hoang Van Hung, Ph. Abstract: The viability of the planet to sustain life amidst development on both economic and industrial fields must be preserved at all cost.
However, environmental changes and its risks are currently the most serious concern of all individuals especially the researchers. They argue that the causes of these extreme phenomena are not only associated with scientific issues, but also with the individual’s behavior towards the environment. Thus, various researches have been taken out to consider the solutions for the role of human behavior to develop pro-environmental consciousness. The positive and negative emotions analysis in this study not only affects their own experiences with the environment, but it also tests the possibilities of engaging into eco-friendly ways.
Thus, this study investigates the role of emotion in developing pro- environmental behavior in the influence of environmental changes, particularly natural disasters. Furthermore, results have shown that emotion significantly affects the changes of the participants’ willingness to be engaged in pro-environmental manners. This explains that emotion in developing environmentally-friendly behavior is a contributing variable as a stepping stone to environmental sustainability. Eco-friendly attitudes are also confirmed important in building behavior intentions and acceptance of nature, this assessment makes the development of desired outcome possible when good relationship with the environment is already inhabited.
Likewise, the study showed excellent significant result of the emotion-arousing video manipulation and ecological footprint, thus, emotion is a factor in considering the start and development of one’s sustainable way of living. Keywords: Environmental sustainability; Emotion; Environmental changes; Climate change; pro-environmental behavior Number of Pages: Forty-eight (48) pages Date of Submission: September, 2015 iii n DEDICATION To my parents and brother; Reynaldo, Leonor & Jhovan Especially to my grandfather; Alejandro My greatest motivation through hardships, I love you and I did it to the best of my abilities while your heart beats linger, for it is as always as it is: As if listening to raindrops; as if feeling a distinct tone; as if learning how to crawl. iv n ACKNOWLEDGEMENT “You'll have a tale or two to tell of your own when you come back.” –Gandalf; The Hobbit This quote played a huge inspiration for me during the timeline of this research. Things sometimes did go mad and I was ready enough and yet, still terrified.
Fortunately, more people came and very little gone. Through the time of hardships on this research, I take hold of the Lord’s guidance and trust. Thus, first and foremost, I express my deepest and solid gratitude to our Almighty God for providing me the strength and courage as the time gone by; for taking me away from doubts and indifferences; and most definitely for leading my path to live by His plan. The unconditional love and support of my parents, Reynaldo & Leonora Recide, and my brother, Jhovan Rey Recide, gave me strength to love in return; to continue what I have started that lead to the amazingly successful completion of this study.
Likewise to the people who never doubted my capabilities to gain success, especially my research supervisor, A/Prof. Hoang Van Hung and my Lao Cai and Thai Nguyen families. Thank you for the additional knowledge, worthy indications, comments and unending guidance. To the Advanced Education Program, Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry and the University of California, Davis director and staff for permitting me to undergo with this research in the first place, for giving welcomingly great opportunities towards attaining productive abilities hindering failure.
v n The novelists that gave me life and journey through words, for teaching me the values of life; strengthen my writing skills and my cognitive mind that played a very wide role for this research—J. Clare; you were most wonderfully amazing. And of course, Andrés Ceballos y DVICIO [Oye, sé que algún día nos veremos.] for overwhelmingly being a part of my huge circle of inspiration. The good things of my life happened with you all and the best yet to come.
Thank you truthfully and whole-heartedly. The Researcher Shelah Marie D. Recide vi n TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES.1 LIST OF TABLES.2 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. Objectives of the Study.
Significance of the Study. Scope and Limitation of the Research. Time and Place of the Study. Assumption of the Study.
Definition of Terms. Environmental Changes and Natural Disasters. Human Vulnerability to Environmental Changes due to Climate Change. Environmental Sustainability and Environmental Changes.
Emotion and Natural Disasters. Emotion and Environmental Sustainability. General Quantitative Result. Differences on Current Pro-Environmental Behavior.
Behavioral Change Intention/Willingness. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION .46 APPENDIX I APPENDIX II viii n LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Mean Effect of Video Treatments to Environmental Behavior. Mean scores for the Importance of Environmental Issues.
38 Figure 5 Willingness of the Participants for Environmental Sustainable Way of Living. 40 1 n LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Average PANAS-X scores of both treatments (Pre-Video and Post-Video Treatments). Environmental Attitude and Pro-Environmental Behavior.
Environmental Measures Overall Record. Correlation and Differences of Environmental attitude, behavior, and ecological footprint. Grand means of the participants’ emotional score at Pre- & Post-Video and ANCOVA. Emotion and EID Score One-Way ANOVA.
Emotion and NEP Score One-Way ANOVA. Emotion and EF Score One-Way ANOVA. Video Impact to the participants. Multiple Regression Analysis Significance Test .41 2 n LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ABBREVIATIONS MEANING ANCOVA Analysis of Covariance ANOVA Analysis of Variance CDP Committee for Development Policy (CDP) DRC Democratic Republic of Congo EF Ecological Footprint Test EID Environmental Identity Scale EMB Environmental Management Bureau (EMB EVI economic vulnerability index (EVI) GCMS Global Coherence Monitoring System (GCMS) H0 Null hypothesis IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change MS Excel Microsoft Excel NEP New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) Questions PANAS-X Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale PCI Planning Commission of India (PCI) SPSS Statistical Package for the Social Science UNEP United Nations Environment Programme 3 n PART I.
Research Rationale Environmental problems are beginning to coexist with the present generation while adding risks and hazards to the inhabitants of the earth. From the depletion of natural resources follow the extinction of both essential flora and fauna species, and drastic climatic disasters, it is no doubt the earth’s natural environment is hitting the bottom line of dying. The global society, on the other hand, is widely affected to the threats that already jeopardize the withheld strength of our planet and the worst things are soon to come (Schreiner, 2012). These environmental issues such as climate change are putting all sorts of comforts, places and all ways of life to risks of disappearing on a timescale of years or a decade (Jamieson, 2014).
Natural disasters are the primary issues of global environmental change. According to the report from New England Journal of Medicine, natural disasters worldwide have steadily increased affecting millions of people every year. Climate change in particular is related to this issue. The massive contributions of human activities to greenhouse gas emission trigger natural disasters.
These disasters such as floods, storms, tropical cyclones, heat waves, droughts and wildfires that threaten life into difficulties, poverty and death are expected to increase, to be frequent and to be more severe without proper action. Prior to these phenomena raises the concerns from experts, government, marketing managers and even the normal people about the issues regarding the environmental awareness and sustainability. Environmental sustainability is defined as “the urgent need 4 n of using Earth’s resources while taking action of protecting the natural world, emphasizing the preservation of natural environment to sustain human life as well as the balanced coexistence of all organisms for the future. Although this definition centers the viability of the environment to sustain life, the human ways of using the natural resources can cause extreme changes in the environment and drastic consequences for the future of the Earth.
Hence, sustainability with less effective mitigation measures is inflicted with the vulnerability of the whole society. No matter how fast and big the economic growth is, without sustainability measures, the world is in danger of increasing mortality rate due to natural disasters. Currently, environmental sustainability is receiving major attention from the media and all environmental and government organizations. Likewise, most research today prioritizes the long term implications of this issue.
Environmental sustainability is aiming businesses to look beyond the negative impact they have on the environment. As a result, many organizations turned guilty for engaging in unsustainable practices that threaten the environment, though as of today, the increasing list of these organizations and businesses are committed to reduce their damaging practices and adopt positive influences for a developing economy along with sustainable environmental growth. However, scientists argue that the Earth’s vulnerability is not only due to overpopulation, excessive emission of greenhouse gases, or degraded agricultural and oceanic features, but it could also be triggered by the individual emotion and behavior of the global society. Environmental problems are exacerbated by human behavior caused by thoughts, beliefs and values.
Psychology studies and helps understand how human behave 5 n and interact with the natural environment whether it is positively or negatively (Dietrich, 2013). Likewise, the concept of social cognition, which is within the scope of social psychology and studied as part of the social environment, may provide frameworks for solutions considering the role of emotions in behavioral decision-making and the changes in behaviors to a pro-environmental ways. Social psychological factors, specifically emotion, people’s thoughts and behaviors are easily influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others (Allport, 1985). This concept allows us to plan solutions by applying human emotion and behavior theories for pro-environmental growth and sustainable environment.
Moreover, Oskamp (2000) believes that unless the primary sustainability threats are overcome, Earth will eventually lose its ability to inhabit humans and all forms of life. Thus, psychologists work on efforts to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle with positive mechanisms towards pro-environmental goals to encourage the governments, organizations and corporations to reduce or if possible, prevent environmental damage. The human way of living has alarming impacts towards the environment (Schreiner, 2012). It is our duty to be engaged in environmental protection involving personal behaviors to sustain planet Earth.
As such, the way human think about environmental dangers from disasters and extreme phenomena may affect whether or not we behave in environmentally-friendly ways (Schreiner, 2012).