Connection between sources of information and motivation for environmental awareness

Abstract

In my study I have examined the connection between sources of information and motivation for environmental awareness. Studies show that the acts believed as environmentally conscious do not always lead to the expected reduction. I suppose that one of the reasons of such a situation is the lack of the right information. Based on this, I think that with better understanding of the consumers’ information sources, we would be able to send more effective messages about the right behaviour and we could reduce the impact of our incorrect environmental activity. For better understanding I revealed the most popular sources of information with on-line survey and I searched for connection between their authenticity and their motivational effects. The research shows that the most popular source of information is the Internet, but many people also rely on previous studies, friends, informative programs. In addition, 75% of the respondents would like to get more information in connection with environmentally responsible behaviour. My results show that more than 30% of the respondents think experts are the most reliable informational source. It can be seen that the most popular sources of information do not match up with the most trusted source. It is also revealed that the family is the first among the motivational factors, followed by taxes, friends and the community. Based on my results, I suggest that it is necessary to provide right information to the people regarding environmentally conscious behaviour. It must be said what to do, thereby facilitating decision-making. We would do it with modern, interactive and widely available sources of information and by involving experts.