Mums influence litterbugs
-
Jun 7, 2010 - Straits Times
Mums influence litterbugs
By Amresh Gunasingham
WHETHER a person litters is influenced to a large extent by whether a close family member or friend either approves of littering or commits the act themselves, the National Environment Agency's (NEA) sociological study showed.
The study found, for example, that a person was 2.4 times more likely to litter if they had a relative who was also a litterbug.
Mothers and wives were found to bear the greatest influence on what their children and husbands did.
Among the youth, a problem group where as many as seven in 10 out of 1,500 interviewed admitted to littering, around 45 per cent said their mothers were a strong influence in shaping their attitudes towards littering. For men, the same proportion listed their wives.
Among the general public, 33 per cent said mothers were the strongest influence on their children's likelihood to litter.
The findings showed the importance of social support networks and the role of women as 'important facilitators' in shaping the values and actions of their families, said Associate Professor Paulin Straughan, who led the year-long study.
-
mother nature.
