Environmental Attitudes and Psychological Well-Being: A Cross-Cultural Study in Arab Countries within the Context of Sustainable Development
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
The current study aimed to explore the relationship between environmental attitudes and psychological well-being in Arab countries, using data from the World Values Survey (Wave 7) conducted between 2017 and 2022. The study focused on five Arab countries (Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, and Tunisia), with a final sample of 4,430 randomly selected participants. A quantitative approach was employed, utilizing World Values Survey data to measure environmental attitudes through three indicators: trust in environmental organizations, activity in environmental organizations, and prioritizing environmental protection over economic growth. Psychological well-being was assessed using four indicators: general happiness, health satisfaction, life satisfaction, and economic satisfaction. The results revealed a statistically significant positive correlation between environmental attitudes and psychological well-being, suggesting that enhancing environmental awareness is associated with improved psychological well-being. No significant differences in environmental attitudes were found based on gender or age, while differences in both environmental attitudes and psychological well-being were found based on educational level. Higher education was associated with greater environmental awareness and psychological well-being. However, in Iraq, economic and political factors had a stronger influence on environmental attitudes rather that education level. The study recommends promoting environmental education and prioritizing mental health through sustainable policies and programs. It also suggests further research to examine the impact of economic and political factors on the relationship between environmental attitudes and psychological well-being.
Metrics
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Bamberg, S., & Möser, G. (2007). Twenty years after Hines, Hungerford, and Tomera: A new meta-analysis of psycho-social determinants of pro-environmental behaviour. Journal of environmental psychology, 27(1), 14-25.
Beres, I. M. (2024). Attitudes Towards Sustainable Development–A Cross-Cultural Analysis Based on the World Values Survey and the Sustainable Development Goals (Doctoral dissertation, PhD Thesis, University of Graz].
Brown, K. W., & Kasser, T. (2005). Are psychological and ecological well-being compatible? The role of values, mindfulness, and lifestyle. Social Indicators Research, 74(2), 349-368. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-004-8207-8
Corral-Verdugo, V., Durón, F., Frías, M., Tapia, C. O., Fraijo, B., & Gaxiola, J. (2015). Socio-physical environmental factors and sustainable behaviour as indicators of family positivity/Factores ambientales socio-físicos y conducta sostenible como indicadores de positividad familiar. Psyecology, 6(2), 146-168.
Gifford, R., & Nilsson, A. (2014). Personal and social factors that influence pro‐environmental concern and behaviour: A review. International journal of psychology, 49(3), 141-157.
Gifford, R., & Sussman, R. (2012). Environmental Attitudes. In Susan D. Clayton (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Environmental and Conservation Psychology, Oxford Library of Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199733026.013.0004, accessed 19 June 2025.
Helliwell, J. F., Huang, H., Wang, S., & Norton, M. (2020). Social environments for world happiness. World happiness report, 2020(1), 13-45.
Howell, A. J., Dopko, R. L., Passmore, H. A., & Buro, K. (2011). Nature connectedness: Associations with well-being and mindfulness. Personality and individual differences, 51(2), 166-171.
Kollmuss, A., & Agyeman, J. (2002). Mind the gap: Why do people act environmentally and what are the barriers to pro-environmental behavior? Environmental Education Research, 8(3), 239-260.
Krekel, C., & Prati, A. (2021). Linking subjective wellbeing and pro-environmental behaviour: A multidimensional approach. In Linking Sustainability and Happiness: Theoretical and Applied Perspectives (pp. 175-201). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Li, Q., Wang, B., Deng, H., & Yu, C. (2018). A quantitative analysis of global environmental protection values based on the world values survey data from 1994 to 2014. Environmental monitoring and assessment, 190, 1-15.
Pino, M. C., Giancola, M., Sannino, M., D’Amico, S., & Palmiero, M. (2024). Exploring the Relationships between Personality and Psychological Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Pro-Environmental Behaviors. Social Sciences, 13(6), 278.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2001). On happiness and human potentials: A review of research on hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Annual review of psychology, 52(1), 141-166.
Ryff, C. D., & Singer, B. H. (2008). Know thyself and become what you are: A eudaimonic approach to psychological well-being. Journal of happiness studies, 9, 13-39.
Schmitt, M. T., Aknin, L. B., Axsen, J., & Shwom, R. L. (2018). Unpacking the relationships between pro-environmental behavior, life satisfaction, and perceived ecological threat. Ecological economics, 143, 130-140.
Soni, M. (2023). Mediating role of pro-environmental behavior in environmentally specific transformational leadership and subjective well-being. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 30(5), 1485-1505.
Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2019). Using Multivariate Statistics (7th ed.). Pearson.
Tam, K. P., & Chan, H. W. (2017). Environmental concern has a weaker association with pro-environmental behavior in some societies than others: A cross-cultural psychology perspective. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 53, 213-223.
Tikka, P. M., Kuitunen, M. T., & Tynys, S. M. (2000). Effects of educational background on students' attitudes, activity levels, and knowledge concerning the environment. The Journal of Environmental Education, 31(3), 12-19.
Van Liere, K. D., & Dunlap, R. E. (1980). The social bases of environmental concern: A review of hypotheses, explanations, and empirical evidence. Public Opinion Quarterly, 44(2), 181-197.
Vaznonis, B., Staugaitis, A. J., & Vaznonienė, G. (2024). The interrelationship between pro-environmental attitudes and subjective well-being: the case of Central and Eastern European countries. Sustainability, 16(8), 3434.
Wicks, C., Barton, J., Orbell, S., & Andrews, L. (2022). Psychological benefits of outdoor physical activity in natural versus urban environments: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of experimental studies. Applied Psychology: Health and Well‐Being, 14(3), 1037-1061.
Zawadzki, S. J., Steg, L., & Bouman, T. (2020). Meta-analytic evidence for a robust and positive association between individuals’ pro-environmental behaviors and their subjective wellbeing. Environmental Research Letters, 15(12), 123007.