Environmental values in post-socialist Hungary: Is it useful to distinguish egoistic, altruistic and biospheric values?

In this article the authors examine whether the significance of biospheric values as a separate cluster next to egoistic and altruistic values is mainly a Western European phenomenon or whether biospheric values are also endorsed as a value in its own right in post-socialist Hungary. In twondifferent samples (N = 856 and N = 840), the multi-group method revealed that egoistic, altruistic and biospheric values can be distinguished empirically in Hungary. Their findings suggest that Hungarians not only care for nature and the environment as such, but that these values are translated into feelings of moral obligation to protect the environment: biospheric values strongly helped to explain personal norms towards various environmental behaviours. The authors’ results suggest that bisopheric values are relevant for understanding environmental beliefs, norms and actions in Hungary.

Keywords: biospheric values, environmental values, pro-environmental behaviour, sociology and environment, Hungary