Exploring the roles of personality traits and self-efficacy on environmental engagement: a Sri Lankan youth survey
ISSN: 1747-1117
Article publication date: 22 September 2023
Issue publication date: 20 February 2024
Abstract
Purpose
Identifying the best predictors of environmental citizenship behavior (ECB) has been a major concern of both researchers and educators aimed at protecting environmental quality and sustain person-environment transactions. This study aims to examine the unique contribution of personality traits and self-efficacy beliefs to the ECB of university youth in Sri Lanka.
Design/methodology/approach
Quantitative research approach used. The internet-based survey method was used to collect data from undergraduates studying at six state universities and two nonstate universities. The measurement items of five personality traits, ECB and academic self-efficacy were adopted on established scales from the literature.
Findings
Multiple regression results revealed that the personality traits of extraversion, agreeableness and openness to experience, as well as academic self-efficacy, are significant predictors of ECB. Extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience significantly influenced academic self-efficacy. Model 6 of the PROCESS macro results indicated that academic self-efficacy partially mediated the contribution of extraversion, agreeableness and openness to experience traits to ECB.
Practical implications
These findings have broad implications for interventions aimed at enhancing youth environmental behavior. Whereas personality traits represent stable individual characteristics that mostly derive from individual hereditary endowment.
Originality/value
The study showed a holistic approach in explaining ECB that combined both personality traits and self-efficacy beliefs, indicating that they are interrelated and should not be treated in isolation.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Author would like to acknowledge the support provided by the respondents for data collection of the study.
Citation
Sachitra, V. (2024), "Exploring the roles of personality traits and self-efficacy on environmental engagement: a Sri Lankan youth survey", Social Responsibility Journal, Vol. 20 No. 4, pp. 740-760. https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-03-2021-0098
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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