Coping style and three psychological measures associated with environmentally responsible behavior

Questionnaires containing five multi-item 5-point scales were administered to 153 Japanese male and female undergraduates. Data of each of the scales were factor analyzed and, as a rule, items with a factor loading of .40 or over were selected. The scale for coping style produced three factors: avoidance, self-deceptive optimism and problem solving. Each of the other four scales produced one factor. Using the total score for each scale or factor, multiple regression analysis was applied to environmentally responsible behavior with six predictors entered simultaneously. Self-deceptive optimism and willingness to accept sacrifices for global environmental protection proved to be significant predictors of environmentally responsible behavior, but the four other predictors did not.