ENERGY ATTITUDES, BELIEFS AND BEHAVIOR: A SPECIFICATION OF SITUATIONAL AND PERSONAL DETERMINANTS OF RESIDENTIAL CONSERVATION BEHAVIO

Utilizing data from a mailed questionnaire of Knoxville and area residents (N = 286), this study has examined a number of key issues in conceptualizing the relationship between situational and personal characteristics of residential energy consumers, conservation behavior and energy use. The review of literature raises three issues in need of further analysis: (1) clarifying the link between knowledge of energy conservation and behavior, (2) clarifying the link between consumer attitudes, beliefs and opinions and conservation behavior, and (3) examining relationships among determinants of conservation behavior at different causal levels.;Chapter III addresses the first issue. The bivariate association between energy knowledge and behavior is not very strong (r = .01 to .20). The primary function of energy knowledge may be more indirect; i.e., how the savings potential of specific conservation actions are perceived.;Chapter IV approaches the second question by comparing the utility of two "attitude-behavior" models for predicting conservation behavior: (1) Fishbein and Ajzen's theory of "reasoned action," and (2) Triandis' multicomponent view of behavior. The results indicate that they are relatively equivalent when the behavior is under consumer's control. As the behavior becomes less routine, the behavior is due more to household structural and demographic factors although attitudes and beliefs continue to play both direct and indirect roles. Here the Triandis model is clearly superior as it accounts for resources and "facilitating" factors affecting behavior.;Chapter 5 addresses the problem of causal order. Results indicate that home ownership functions both as a "resource" factor affecting behavioral options as well as influencing energy beliefs and attitudes. Homeowners tend to be more committed to personal conservation and to view the energy problem as more serious. A second finding is that general energy beliefs do play a role in guiding behavior. However, influence of general definitions of the energy "situation" are best thought of as indirect--affecting more proximate attitudes toward the behavior. The conclusion discusses the implications of this work for structuring residential energy conservation programs.