SCUBA divers' underwater responsible behaviour: can environmental concern and divers' attitude make a difference?

• Main Authors: Fatt, O.T., Musa, G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis (Routledge) 2011
• Subjects: GV Recreation Leisure
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/10474/1/00007082_69618.pdf; http://eprints.um.edu.my/10474/
• Institution: Universiti Malaya

The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between general environmental attitude and specific SCUBA diving attitude with responsible behaviour among divers underwater. The empirical data were collected from divers (N = 413) at the five most popular islands for SCUBA diving in Malaysia using the combination of purposeful, quota and convenience sampling. The revised New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) scale [Dunlap, R.E., Van Liere, K., Mertig, A., & Jones, R. (2000). Measuring endorsement of the New Ecological Paradigm: A revised NEP scale. Journal of Social Issues, 56(3), 425–442] was utilised to measure the general environmental concern (attitude) among divers. Measurement of SCUBA diving attitude and underwater responsible behaviour was self-developed based on both literature review and expert opinions. Correlation and regression analyses were employed to examine the relationships among the constructs. Divers are mostly ecocentric and highly responsible underwater and possess a positive SCUBA diving attitude. Divers' behaviour underwater has a direct relationship with both environmental concern and specific SCUBA diving attitude. The latter partially mediates the relationship between environmental concern and responsible behaviour underwater. The cognitive and conative dimensions of specific SCUBA diving attitude are strongly related to skill diving behaviour and safety diving behaviour, respectively. The affective dimension of specific SCUBA diving attitude has a strong relationship with non-contact diving behaviour. Based on the study findings, this paper presents some of its theoretical and managerial contributions.