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Psychological research into illegal anti-environmental behaviour is scarce because this type of behaviour is difficult to analyse and conceptualize. Motivational variables and, in particular, regulation mechanisms can help to explain this type of environmentally significant behaviour. The aim of this research is to analyse the relationship between pro-environmental motives and illegal anti-environmental behaviour. A total of 311 university students completed a questionnaire that included a Spanish translation of the Motivation Toward the Environment Scale, questions about illegal anti-environmental behaviour and regulation to respect environmental laws. The results indicate that the factor structure of the scale, obtained by means of confirmatory factor analysis, is the same as the one proposed by its authors. Furthermore, we ascertained that pro-environmental motives predict pro-environmental and also illegal anti-environmental behaviour, but that the percentage of explained variance is higher when using regulation to respect environmental laws.

AbstractPsychological research into illegal anti-environmental behaviour is scarce because this type of behaviour is difficult to analyse and conceptualize. Motivational variables and, in particular, regulation mechanisms can help to explain this type of environmentally significant behaviour. The aim of this research is to analyse the relationship between pro-environmental motives and illegal anti-environmental behaviour. A total of 311 university students completed a questionnaire that included a Spanish translation of the Motivation Toward the Environment Scale, questions about illegal anti-environmental behaviour and regulation to respect environmental laws. The results indicate that the factor structure of the scale, obtained by means of confirmatory factor analysis, is the same as the one proposed by its authors. Furthermore, we ascertained that pro-environmental motives predict pro-environmental and also illegal anti-environmental behaviour, but that the percentage of explained variance is higher when using regulation to respect environmental laws.

Las transgresiones medioambientales son quebrantamientos de las leyes de protección medioambiental (LPMA) que constituyen una forma peculiar de comportamiento ilegal desde un punto de vista jurídico y psicosocial. Las LPMA incluyen comportamientos muy variados, tan distintos entre sí como para requerir criterios de valoración diferentes. En este estudio se analizaron las respuestas de 196 estudiantes universitarios, residentes en un territorio de alta protección medioambiental, a un cuestionario compuesto por 20 transgresiones medioambientales habituales en su contexto inmediato, que debían valorar en 14 escalas. Los resultados mostraron que las dimensiones del espacio perceptivo de los participantes son consistentes con las obtenidas con otras muestras, episodios, escalas y procedimientos estadísticos. Estas dimensiones permitieron clasificar correctamente un 85% de las transgresiones en relación a tres categorías utilizadas habitualmente por la Administración pública, siendo la predicción más acertada para las transgresiones contra el medio natural que para la contaminación y las actividades constructivas.

Environmental transgressions involve breaking environmental protection laws (EPL), constituting a singular kind of illegal conduct from a legal and psychosocial perspective. EPL encompass a wide variety of behaviours which is very broad-ranging and, therefore, require different evaluation criteria. This study analyzes the responses of 196 university students living in an area of high environmental protection to a questionnaire encompassing 20 common environmental transgressions in their immediate surroundings, which they had to evaluate using 14 scales. The results show that the dimensions of the participants' perceptive space are consistent with those obtained through other samples, episodes, scales and statistical procedures. These dimensions enabled 85% of transgressions to be correctly classified into the three categories commonly used by public administrations, with more accurate predictions found for Transgressions against the Natural Environment than for Pollution/Contamination and Construction Activities.

ResumenLas transgresiones medioambientales son quebrantamientos de las leyes de protección medioambiental (LPMA) que constituyen una forma peculiar de comportamiento ilegal desde un punto de vista jurídico y psicosocial. Las LPMA incluyen comportamientos muy variados, tan distintos entre sí como para requerir criterios de valoración diferentes. En este estudio se analizaron las respuestas de 196 estudiantes universitarios, residentes en un territorio de alta protección medioambiental, a un cuestionario compuesto por 20 transgresiones medioambientales habituales en su contexto inmediato, que debían valorar en 14 escalas. Los resultados mostraron que las dimensiones del espacio perceptivo de los participantes son consistentes con las obtenidas con otras muestras, episodios, escalas y procedimientos estadísticos. Estas dimensiones permitieron clasificar correctamente un 85% de las transgresiones en relación a tres categorías utilizadas habitualmente por la Administración pública, siendo la predicción más acertada para las transgresiones contra el medio natural que para la contaminación y las actividades constructivas.

AbstractEnvironmental transgressions involve breaking environmental protection laws (EPL), constituting a singular kind of illegal conduct from a legal and psychosocial perspective. EPL encompass a wide variety of behaviours which is very broad-ranging and, therefore, require different evaluation criteria. This study analyzes the responses of 196 university students living in an area of high environmental protection to a questionnaire encompassing 20 common environmental transgressions in their immediate surroundings, which they had to evaluate using 14 scales. The results show that the dimensions of the participants' perceptive space are consistent with those obtained through other samples, episodes, scales and statistical procedures. These dimensions enabled 85% of transgressions to be correctly classified into the three categories commonly used by public administrations, with more accurate predictions found for Transgressions against the Natural Environment than for Pollution/Contamination and Construction Activities.