1. Article Review of
“Factors influencing private and public
environmental protection behaviors: Results
from a survey of residents in Shaanxi, China”
Wang Feng, Ann Reisner
By Yuming Huang

2. Background
 China suffers from severe environmental problems.
- Air pollution, water pollution, soil erosion, damage to vegetation,
reduction of arable land.
 The Chinese government need to use all major approaches to
correcting environmental problems.
-Technological solution, legislative changes, social changes, market-
based incentives, institutional developments, and educational
campaign.
 Educational campaign is one of the more effective tools.
 One message cannot fit all.

3. Literature Review
 In the U.S., the demographic characteristics &
environmental worldview can differentiate greater &
lesser support for pro-environmental activity.
- Age, gender, education, political party, race, and
residence.
-The New Environmental Paradigm, other eco-centric
values.
 However, studies in U.S. have limited transferability.
- Findings are limited utility in developing countries.

4. Literature Review
 Studies about China also have limitations.
- National surveys did not concern systematic
demographic differences.
- No studies concerns the relatively poorer internal areas
of China.
 What demographic variables differentiate between high
& low levels of private (shallow environmentalism) and
public (deep environmentalism) attitudes and behaviors?

5. Method
 Study site: Shaanxi Province, China
- Located in the center of China, 36 million people. (9.83 m in MI)
- 77,2000 sq miles of Shaanxi. (96,716 sq miles of MI)
- one of the earliest cradles of ancient Chinese civilization.
-Terra CottaWarriors.
- GDP & income are closer to national average.

6. Method
 Questionnaire design
- Includes sections on environmental knowledge,
environmental significance, importance of the
environment, environmental protection behaviors and
demographics.
 20 students was assigned to collect 20 interviews by
each.
- 347 valid questionnaires were collected.

7. Method
 Characteristics of sample
- 50% female, 50% male.
- Age ranged from 12 to 82 years old, with a mean of 37
years.
-The mean of the income for a household is 1500 RMB
($250).
- Most graduated from high school or junior college.
-The sample data matched the provincial data.

8. Method
 Two multiple regression equations allow us to use additional IVs
and simultaneously assess their contribution to a single DV.
- DV: Individual behaviors and public behaviors.
- IVs: environmental knowledge, environmental significance,
importance of environmental protection, age, education, income.

9. Method
 A1: Environmental knowledge and individual behaviors are positively
correlated.
 A2: Environmental significance and environmental importance and
individual behaviors are positively correlated.
 A3: Age, gender, educational level, income and individual behaviors of are
positively correlated.
 A4: Environmental knowledge and public behaviors are positively
correlated.
 A5: Environmental significance and environmental importance and public
behaviors are positively correlated.
 A6: Age, gender, educational level, income and public behaviors are
positively correlated.

10. Results
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11. Results
 A1: Environmental knowledge and individual behaviors are
positively correlated.
 A2: Environmental significance and environmental importance
and individual behaviors are positively correlated.
 A4: Environmental knowledge and public behaviors are positively
correlated.
 However, with the exception of gender’s impact on individual
behaviors of environmental protection, demographic variables
have little or no impact on private or public behaviors of
environmental protection.

12. Conclusion and discussion
 Education campaigns should focus on the importance of
environmental issues.
 Women are more likely to be effectively reached with a
consistency campaign than males, who are less likely to
regularly recycle.
 Public environmental behaviors were overall less frequent
than private behaviors and were not significantly related to
any demographic variables.
 Agencies should distinguish what strategies they plan to
use to encourage private and public behaviors.

13. Conclusion and Discussion
 Targeted communication efforts are routinely more effective
than campaigns addressed to an undifferentiated audience.
 The demographic-gender- was significant in this study for
the private level assessments of the importance and
knowledge.
 Those behaviors which have direct economic self-interest for
the individual involved are the most consistent pattern of
environmental activity.
- Educational campaigns should emphasize private economic
benefit whenever possible.

14. Discussion Questions
 What is/are limitation(s) of this study? Do you have any
suggestion for future research?
 “None of the common demographic variables
differentiated environmental attitudes or behavior” in
this study.Why?
 How do you think about direct economic benefit? Will
you use those economic incentives in environmental
protection campaigns?
 How can we use the findings of this study on
environment protection campaign?

15. Thank you!