Children and the New 3 Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle): Attitudes Toward the Environment.

This study examined the relationship between children's environmental attitudes and their perceived competence and locus of control. The study sample consisted of 171 children in grades 3, 4, and 5. Children completed the Children's Attitudes Toward the Environment Scale (CATES) and the Janus Environmental Attitudes Scale (JEAS), which assessed their attitudes toward the environment, and other questionnaires which assessed their perceived competence and locus of control. Additionally, children chose an environmental or nonenvironmental activity to engage in during each of three classroom educational sessions. Results indicated that children who possessed an internal locus of control had more positive scores on measures of environmental attitudes than did other children. This correlation suggests that children who feel they have control over and responsibility for their own actions and behaviors have strong pro-environmental attitudes. Results also indicated that children who scored high on measures of behavior and physical appearance had more positive environmental attitudes than did children who scored low. The study also found that the CATES had a high internal consistency and test-retest reliability, and was moderately correlated with the JEAS. (TJQ)