CITIZEN'S PRACTICE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS OF POWER SAVING BEHAVIORS AFTER THE GREAT EAST JAPAN EARTHQUAKE

Abstract

 The citizens were forced to practice power saving actions due to the electricity shortage after the Great East Japan Earthquake. In this study, we aimed to make the following points clear: (1) the impact of current situation on practice of pro-environmental behavior, (2) the difference in recognition of current situation among the regions, (3) the relationships between the energy consumption or behavior and the recognition of current situation or personality. A questionnarire survey was conducted and 7,186 responses were obtained in Kanto Area, Osaka city and Hiroshima city. The significantly higher practice rates of power saving behaviors were observed than those before the earthquake. The regional differences of the people's behaviors and recognitions were also significant. The personality and recognition factors which had strong relations with the power saving behaviors were "Hierarchism" and "Concern on the affected area", respectively. However, the multiple regression analysis concluded that the actual energy consumption could not be explained only by the power saving actions, personality and recognition.