Identifying the Environmentally Responsible Consumer: The Role of Internal-External Control of Reinforcements

Environmental quality has and will continue to be a major consumer movement issue. In response to a growing interest in this area, researchers have investigated the relationships between a number of demographic and socio-psychological variables and concern for the environment. This study examines the relationship between internal-external control of reinforcements and environmental responsibility. The results indicate that significant differences on the internal-external control measure exist between subjects classified as high and low in environmental responsibility. The article discusses the implications of these findings for private and public decision makers.