Environmental Value Orientations and its Relation to Pro- Environmental Behavior among Petra University Students in Jordan

Abstract

This study aimed at identifying environmental value orientations held by the students of Petra Private University– Jordan, identifying the reported level of pro- environmental behavior that is expected from them, and finding the relationship between environmental values and the students' pro-environmental behavior. The study sample consists of (296) male and female students enrolled at Petra Private University. Two questionnaires have been used in this study; the first questionnaire consists of (25) items to assess the environmental value orientations in three dimensions: ecocentrism, anthropocentrism, and environmental apathy. The second questionnaire consists of (31) items to measure the pro-environmental behavior expected from the students. The study results indicated that students hold several environmental values in all three dimensions at various degrees. Moreover, the students’ values lean more toward ecocentrism and less toward anthropocentrism, whereas the least students’ values lean toward environmental apathy. The results also show that significant and positive correlation exists between ecocentrism and the reported level of pro-environmental behavior.

Keywords: pro-environmental behavior, environmental value orientations, ecocentrism, anthropocentrism, environmental apathy.