Significant life experiences affect environmental action: a confirmation study in eastern Taiwan

Two field studies form the basis of this article. The major purposes of Study 1 were to examine significant life experiences affecting the cultivation of environmental activists in eastern Taiwan, and to reconstruct the life paths followed by those active people who engaged in effective environmental action. 40 usable autobiographical memories were collected and content‐analysed to derive 17 significant life experiences. Based on the 17 accounts, a quantitative questionnaire of 24 items on significant life experiences variables was developed for Study 2. Four hundred and thirty valid questionnaires were analysed. Eighty two respondents with a high level of environmental action were determined to be environmental activists, and 153 with a low level of environmental action were determined to be people apathetic towards environmental protection. It was found that the significant life experiences identified in Study 1 could effectively distinguish environmentally committed people from those apathetic to environmental protection. Study 2 also found that 54.6% of the variances in environmental actions could be explained by the significant life experiences.