Fake news? – examining the connection between value-based environmental messages, environmental concern, and pro-environmental intention

Purpose and design: This study examines the connections between value-based environmental messages (biospheric, altruistic and egoistic), environmental concern and pro-environmental intention. Thirty-three men and 50 women, in the ages between 18 and 70 participated in the survey study.

Findings: Results confirm the importance of biospheric values, with a significant positive association between biospheric value-based messages and proenvironmental intention. Biospheric environmental concern had a significant positive effect on value based environmental message ratings, while the effect of egoistic concern was negative. An emerging trend of value competition between environmentalism and altruism is noted.

Practical implications: The findings suggest that social marketing attempts to promote pro-environmental intentions should use broad biospheric message frames in order to appeal to individuals with these values. Messages targeting egoistic and altruistic individuals may require narrower, situation-specific framings.

Author(s): Nike Henriksson

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