We cannot change past human actions that have been harmful to the environment, but we may yet be able to influence choices made by rising generations. The question is, how? According to the theory of planned behavior, what we believe determines how we act, by way of our perceptions and intentions. The authors tested this theory on a group of teenagers in Luxembourg by looking specifically at the relationship between beliefs and pro-environmental behavior (PEB), such as recycling, saving water, and reducing waste. The results could inform interventions aimed at promoting PEB among youth.
The authors tested three hypotheses: that beliefs could predict PEB among high-school students; that those beliefs would be interrelated; and that a student's sex (male or female) and degree of empathy would correlate with his or her PEB. The participants were 602 students (292 female) 12–16 years old from nine Luxembourg high schools. The authors used a pilot study to identify the PEBs and vocabulary relevant to the demographics of the study population. Although 713 students were eligible for the main study, only 602 supplied enough data to analyze.
The authors gave participants two questionnaires, one at the beginning of a trimester and one at the end. Using a scale of 1 to 6, the first questionnaire focused on students' beliefs about, perceptions of, and intentions to perform various PEBs. Questions asked, for example, whether students believed it was important to recycle; there was social pressure to recycle; their role models recycled; and they intended to recycle that trimester. The questionnaire also asked students to rate their level of empathic concern as either high or low. The second questionnaire asked the students to self-report on the PEBs that they had actually performed. The data were then categorized and analyzed numerically to show statistically significant relationships between variables.
Using the theory of planned behavior and the students' answers in the first questionnaire, the authors were able to predict 30% of what students reported in the second questionnaire. In other words, 30% of the reported PEBs at the end of the trimester could be predicted by the answers to the questionnaire administered at the beginning of the trimester. Yet, many students did not act on their intentions to perform PEBs. This could have been for a variety of reasons. One reason may be that the authors did not include enough variety of PEBs in the survey and, as such, students may have performed behaviors not included on the list; it may also have been because students encountered unanticipated obstacles to PEBs. By contrast, the authors suggest that students may have over-reported performance of their actual PEBs.
The significant predictors of PEBs were students' overall attitudes toward PEB (positive or negative); what they witnessed their role models doing; and how much control over being able to perform a PEB they perceived themselves as having. In addition to describing those categories more generally, the authors reported on the strongest factors in each of the three categories: The beliefs that a PEB would “save energy,” “keep the planet clean,” and “protect the natural environment” had significant effects on a student's attitude. The role models who had a significant effect on students' perceptions were their mothers (highest), family in general, fathers, and, lastly, environmental celebrities.
The significant factors in a student's perception of control were: the availability of double-sided printing; recycling bins at home; affordability of eco-friendly products; movies, documentaries, and articles about the environment that are interesting and suitable for their age; and the presence of stickers, boards, and voice guides that specified which behaviors to perform and how. Although students emphasized the importance of such tools in facilitating their PEB, the authors caution that, at this age, students might not be aware of their ability to self-regulate.
While the researchers found that gender had no effect on PEB, they found empathy to be significantly related to what students believed. Students with higher empathic concern generally had more positive attitudes and beliefs about PEB. The researchers suggest that, because those students already have generally positive attitudes, it may be more effective to focus interventions on students with low empathic concern.
The authors suggest that, if the theory of planned behavior is to be used effectively in such a study, then the beliefs about which students and other participants are asked must closely match the actual context. Specifically, students must have the skills and means to perform PEBs without barriers or unanticipated events that change either their ability or intention to perform a PEB. The authors conclude by suggesting that the key beliefs identified in their study may help guide future educational interventions that aim to foster PEB. This study's authors were working with a regionally small demographic within Luxembourg, however, and beliefs among diverse youth across different geographies and demographics may vary.
The Bottom Line
In encouraging pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs), it is important to consider existing attitudes toward each PEB and discover the specific barriers to implementing it so that those barriers can be addressed. In some cases, this means providing the necessary tools, such as convenient recycling bins. Students are also highly influenced by role models; finding ways to provide positive, pro-environmental role models could be a more effective way to promote new PEBs.