Modeling levels of eco-conscious awareness

Abstract

We evaluate whether the feeling that all life is interconnected is associated with moral awareness of protecting the environment. We present a model in which different levels of awareness—awareness of self, other, and nature—are associated with environmental measures and moral awareness of environmental protection. Using path analysis (N = 634), we first evaluate how each level of awareness predicts the environmental measures. We then show that these associations are mediated by moral awareness of environmental protection and that moral awareness has an additional unique contribution as a predictor. Our results highlight the importance of different levels of awareness on attitudes and predispositions towards environmental protection. This research provides valuable insights into the relationship between interconnectedness, moral awareness, and environmentalism, offering a foundation for developing interventions and strategies aimed at fostering a more ecologically conscious society.