THE MODERATING EFFECT OF THREAT ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POPULATION CONCERN AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN

Two hundred sixty-one research participants completed a questionnaire designed to measure concern for the environment and concern for popula tion growth. The introduction to the questionnaire focused on either t hreat to society, personal threat, or no threat. Contrary to some prev ious research findings, a positive correlation between concern for the environment and concern for population growth was found. This finding is explained by the simultaneity of measurement of the two constructs , item phrasing, and the possibility that previous research findings l acked transhistorical reliability. The threat manipulation was found t o moderate the relationship between concern for the environment and co ncern for population growth. Analyses of demographic variables showed that women expressed more environmental concern that men, and that reg ular church attendees expressed the least concern for population growt h.