Values and Sustainability Education

1. Values and Sustainability Education Tim Kasser, Ph.D.

2. Values & Goals • Guiding principles in life • Affect people’s attitudes towards particular objects and policies • Orient people to engage in particular behaviors • Many different types of values and goals exist

3. Values & Goals • Organized in systems • Validated in many nations around world • Some values are compatible, others in conflict • Data can be represented with circumplex models • Compatible values are next to each other • Conflicting values are on opposite sides

4. Self-Transcendence Self-Direction Universalism Openness to Change Stimulation Benevolence Hedonism Tradition Conformity Achievement Conservation Self-Enhancement Security Power

5. Self-Transcendence Self-Direction Universalism Openness to Change Stimulation Benevolence Hedonism Tradition Conformity Achievement Conservation Self-Enhancement Security Power

6. ValuesSchwartz (1992) • Self-enhancing values • Social power, wealth, authority, successful, influential

7. Self-Transcendence Self-Direction Universalism Openness to Change Stimulation Benevolence Hedonism Tradition Conformity Achievement Conservation Self-Enhancement Security Power

8. ValuesSchwartz (1992) • Self-enhancing values • Social power, wealth, authority, successful, influential • Self-transcendent values • Helpful, responsible, mature love, social justice, equality, a world of beauty, protecting the environment

11. GoalsGrouzet et al. (2005); Kasser & Ryan (1996) • Extrinsic • “I will have enough money to buy everything I want.” • “I will achieve the ‘look’ I've been after.” • “I will be admired by many people.”

13. GoalsGrouzet et al. (2005); Kasser & Ryan (1996) • Extrinsic • “I will have enough money to buy everything I want.” • “I will achieve the ‘look’ I've been after.” • “I will be admired by many people.” • Intrinsic • “I will express my love for special people.” • “I will help the world become a better place.” • “I will assist people who need it, asking nothing in return.”

14. Two Applications • Dispositions • General priority placed on values in system • Stable over time

15. Self-Transcendence Self-Direction Universalism Openness to Change Stimulation Benevolence Hedonism Tradition Conformity Achievement Conservation Self-Enhancement Security Power

16. Two Applications • Dispositions • General priority placed on values in system • Stable over time • Activation • Moment to moment changes in priorities • Varies across situations

17. Self-Transcendence Self-Direction Universalism Openness to Change Stimulation Benevolence Hedonism Tradition Conformity Achievement Conservation Self-Enhancement Security Power

18. Relevance to Education • Personal value dispositions are differentially correlated with social and ecological attitudes and behaviors

19. Social Correlates

20. Social Attitudes • Empathy • “If I’m sure I’m right about something, I don’t waste much time listening to other people’s arguments.” • Sheldon & Kasser (1995)

21. Social Attitudes • Social dominance orientation • “Some groups of people are simply inferior to other groups.” • Duriez et al. (2007)

22. Social Attitudes • Social dominance orientation • “Some groups of people are simply inferior to other groups.” • Duriez et al. (2007) • Racial & Ethnic Prejudice • “We have to keep our race pure and fight mixture with other races” • Duriez et al. (2007); Roets et al. (2006)

23. Social Behavior • Pro-social and anti-social behavior • Cohen & Cohen (1996); McHoskey (1999); Kasser & Ryan (1993) • Cooperative vs. Competitive Behavior • Choose to “get ahead” vs. “cooperate” with friends in game to win movie ticket • Sheldon et al. (2000)

24. Ecological Correlates

25. Ecological Attitudes Value on protecting the environment and having a world of beauty Schwartz (1992) Concern about effects of environmental damage on other people, animals, and future generations Schultz et al. (2005)

26. Eco-Behaviors Frequency of riding bikes, recycling, reuse, etc. Gatersleben et al (2008); Kasser (2005); Richins & Dawson (1992); Size of Ecological Footprint 400 N Americans – transportation, housing, food Brown & Kasser (2005)

27. Relevance to Education • Personal dispositions towards values are differentially correlated with social and ecological attitudes and behaviors

28. Relevance to Education • Personal dispositions towards values are differentially correlated with social and ecological attitudes and behaviors • Activating one set of values: • Supports and encourages attitudes and behaviors consistent with those values • Suppresses and discourages attitudes and behaviors in conflict with those values

29. Self-Transcendence Self-Direction Universalism Openness to Change Stimulation Benevolence Hedonism Tradition Conformity Achievement Conservation Self-Enhancement Security Power

31. Activation of Social AttitudesMaio et al. (2009) • Cardiff students given pre-test measure of SE, ST, and other values • Then either • Told that their peers highly valued 4 of the Self-Transcendent aims • Told that their peers highly valued 4 of the Self-Enhancement aims • Memorized value-irrelevant words (control) • Then given post-test value measure with new SE, ST, and other values

32. Change in ST values

33. Change in SE values

34. Activation of Social Behavior Maio et al. (2009) • Subjects sorted adjectives, items of furniture and either: • Benevolence-related words (forgiving, helpful, honest) • Achievement-related words (ambitious, capable, successful) • Food related words (control)

35. Time Volunteered

36. Activation of Eco-AttitudesSheldon, Nichols & Kasser (2010) • University students primed with identity • Human, Missouri Student, American • Extrinsic American, Intrinsic American • Asked to recommend ideal Ecological Footprint for Americans in 5 years • 11 items

37. Recommended EFs

38. Activation of Eco-Behavior Vansteenkiste et al. (2004) • Subjects - education students • Asked to read a text on recycling framed as: • Would benefit community (intrinsic) • Would save money (extrinsic)

39. Activation of Eco-Behavior Vansteenkiste et al. (2004) • Compared to those given Extrinsic frames, those given Intrinsic frames: • Learned material more deeply • Were more likely to visit library to learn more • Were more likely to go on later trip to recycling plant

40. Education Implications • Using self-enhancing/extrinsic values to promote social/ecological aims: • Models damaging values • Encourages people to prioritize SE/E values • Discourages people from prioritizing ST/I values • Momentarily activates damaging values: • Increases likelihood of selfish attitudes & behavior • Decreases likelihood of pro-social, pro-ecological attitudes & behavior

41. Education Implications • Using fear and uncertainty to promote social/ecological aims may be dangerous: • Research shows insecurity typically shifts people towards Self-enhancing/Extrinsic values • Economic insecurity (Sheldon & Kasser, 2009) • Fears of death (Kasser & Sheldon, 2000)

42. Education Implications • Using self-transcendent/intrinsic values to promote social/ecological aims: • Models helpful values • Encourages people to prioritize ST/I values • Discourages people from prioritizing SE/E values • Momentarily activates helpful values: • Decreases likelihood of selfish attitudes & behavior • Increases likelihood of pro-social, pro-ecological attitudes & behavior

43. Thanks!