The interplay of social comparison, social connectedness and environmental concern and how gender moderates these effects.

Abstract

In order to mitigate environmental change, it is vitally important for society to implement a wide range of measures, including reducing our daily consumption of electricity (IPCC, 2018). Enzler, Diekmann and Liebe (2019) found a strikingly large difference in environmental behaviour between men and women. A conceivable explanation for this conclusion is missing in the existing literature, while public policies regarding environmental change could be set up more effectively by understanding the apparently significant impact of gender. Therefore, the current study will contribute to the existing literature on environmental concern and public interest, by examining the unknown relationships between gender, social comparison, social connectedness and environmental concern. Statistical analyses were done with the original dataset from the study of Enzler, Diekmann and Liebe (2019). In line with the predicted relations, social comparison (n = 1364) and social connectedness (n = 1360) were found to positively correlate with environmental concern. In addition, women were found to report 29% more pro-environmental concern. However, no evidence was found to prove the moderating effect of gender on the predicting relation of social comparison and social connectedness on environmental concern.