Index of Paper Presentations for the Parallel Sessions - Academy of ...

1974; Antil, 1978; Van and Dunlap, 1981). Income served as poor predictor of environmental attitudes also. Apositive correlation existed in the case of willingness to pay more for environmentally friendly products (Jain andKaur,2006). Additionally, income was noticed to have a reverse relationship with FCB (frequency of conservationbehavior), thus indicating that individuals with higher income engage less frequently in FCB.In regard to education, the better-educated scored higher on all components of the environmental domain, probablyreflecting the fact that ‗‗the very nature of ecology with its complex interactions between organisms andenvironment serves to make its subject matter difficult to understand and assimilate‘‘ (Maloney et al., 1975). Thehigher-educated consumers understand the issues involved to a greater extent and, hence, are more concerned aboutenvironmental quality and more motivated to participate in environmentally responsible behaviors.Apart from demographics and psychological variables the inherent determinants of the environmental consciousness,H‘Mida, Chavez, and Guindon (2008) suggested the role of external factors such as media, family and culture inaffecting the level of environmental consciousness. Triandis (1982) explained that culture, which dictates the roleof humans in the natural balance of ecosystems, can be a much more significant determinant of environmentalconsciousness than demographics variables like age. In situations where economic growth and environmentalexploitation are proven to be important, cultural groups see themselves as superior to, or subordinate to or inaccordance with nature. Researchers report of the connection between lifestyle and green commitment, wherelifestyle was measured by consumption styles and green commitment by certain environment-related consumptionchoices. The results suggest that different lifestyles explain green commitment better than traditional socio-economicbackground variables (Haanpaa, 2007). However, lifestyle based analysis of environmental conscious consumers is awidely unexplored area of investigation.Media is crucial to deliver the right information to consumers and strengthen individual and collective environmentalconsciousness (Rios et al.,2006). It not only helps in developing environmental awareness and concern, but in doing so,it also allows consumers to act in accordance to their heightened sense of concern for the environment. It thereforeplays a significant role in building a direct relationship between environmental consciousness and ecological buyingbehavior.