Abstract
This study identified psychological predictors of environmentally sustainable behavior in college student samples from the United States
(N
=442), China
(N
=516), and Taiwan
(N
=164) based on the literature and informed by an extension of Sherif's superordinate goal theory, which stipulates that perceived generalized threat is associated with increased community solidarity, promotes cooperative behavior, and fosters a stronger sense of belonging to a group. Predictor variables that were studied included (a) perceived impact of globalization in general and in own country, (b) global and national belonging, (c) world-minded value orientation, and (d) perceived personal environmental risk. Data were collected during the spring and summer of 2012 using the Qualtrics online survey platform. Perceived personal environmental risk and global belonging were significant predictors of sustainable behavior in all three samples. World-mindedness and national belonging were additional significant predictors in the US and Chinese samples. Global belonging and perceived environmental risk were positively correlated in all three samples. In all three samples, a stronger sense of global belonging was related to stronger perception of the positive impact of globalization in general and locally. In all three samples, those who scored higher on both global and national belonging (based on median split method) scored significantly higher on sustainable behavior than those who scored lower on both. Results are discussed in terms of Sherif's superordinate goal theory and potential etic constructs that may be culture common and implications for education and community engagement.
Key Words: Sustainable behavior—Global identity—National identity—World-mindedness—Perceived environmental risk.