Measuring Individual Pro-Environmental Behavior Transformation: Contextualizing Individual Learning Behavior

Abstract

This paper proposes an experimental design that policy makers can use to reduce and minimize the environmental catastrophes. This paper uses an experimental design and questionnaire survey to assess the effectiveness of students’ participatory approach to achieve pro-environmental behavior (PEB) and behavioral change strategy. The experiment comprises of assessing the effectiveness of (1) a video on the environmental catastrophe, (2) pictorial reading materials on environmental catastrophe, (3) a labbased simulated eco-tourism trip, and (4) the socialization process towards building PEB. Three time-phase studies could be employed as a participatory form of PEB. The first phase will assess the pro-environmental attributes; the second phase will be the experimental-based treatment; and the third phase assess the behavioral change (the third phase will assess the behavioral change through the same set of questionnaires as stage one). We will assess the changes based on the questionnaire surveys (phase 3 minus phase 1). The four stimuli will be administered randomly (each respondent will get the four sequences of the stimulus differently; the reason is to minimize the sequence order bias of the stimulus). The findings have the potential to position the effectiveness of different stimuli in promoting positive PEB outcomes among individuals. Through the study, we hope a major change will occur around the globe through the manifestations of the four stimuli to understand how it will affect behavioral change. We propose to target the student groups as they are the voices of the future, and their behavior has important implications for now and the future.
 Keywords: video on the environmental catastrophe, pictorial reading materials on environmental catastrophe, lab-based simulated eco-tourism trip, socialization process, pro-environmental behavior