This study examines the influence of place attachment, values, beliefs and personal norms about environmental action on the conservation of native vegetation in two primary production settings in South Australia. We use regression and multiple mediation analyses to test a base model of pro-environmental behaviour which includes variables from value-belief-norm (VBN) theory and then compare it to an expanded model which includes the same variables and five dimensions of place attachment. The expanded model including place attachment explained up to twice the amount of variance in native vegetation planting than the base model when controlling for all variables preceding behaviour, but the overall explanatory power was low (<22%). Place attachment had a stronger influence on the antecedents of behaviour compared with the behaviour itself, particularly nature bonding which was a significant moderate predictor of both personal norms and awareness of consequences in the two study regions. We assert that place attachment has statistically significant direct and indirect effects on variables included in VBN theory. Future studies may reveal stronger effects in settings where there are fewer resource and monetary costs associated with pro-environmental behaviour.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	environmental concern, human values, normative beliefs, place attachment, pro-environmental behaviour, VBN theory
Research Division:	Environmental Sciences
Research Group:	Environmental management
Research Field:	Environmental education and extension
Objective Division:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Group:	Expanding knowledge
Objective Field:	Expanding knowledge in the environmental sciences
UTAS Author:	Raymond, CM (Dr Chris Raymond)
ID Code:	95844
Year Published:	2011
Web of Science® Times Cited:	127
Deposited By:	Centre for Environment
Deposited On:	2014-10-09
Last Modified:	2014-11-11
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