Egyptian public’s concern for global warming: The influence of post-materialism, religiosity, political orientation, and locus of control

Abstract

Purpose

Despite the growing scientific evidence regarding risks caused by global warming and climate change, virtually no studies have been conducted to investigate general public’s attitudes toward this phenomenon in a non-Western context. The purpose of this paper is to investigate factors influencing concern for global warming in a representative sample of 2,551 respondents in Egypt.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses logistic and Bayesian logistic regression modeling techniques to test the influence of post-materialistic tendencies, religiosity, political orientation and locus of control on concern for global warming in Egypt.

Findings

Results contradict the post-materialist hypothesis and show that concern for global warming is driven by religiosity, political orientation and internal locus of control.

Originality/value

The findings highlight the importance of investigating the specificity of global warming and environmental concern in a non-Western context.

Citation

Mostafa, M. (2016), "Egyptian public’s concern for global warming: The influence of post-materialism, religiosity, political orientation, and locus of control", World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 31-45. https://doi.org/10.1108/WJSTSD-07-2015-0039