Spreading the Eco-Message: Using Proactive Coping to Aid Eco-Rep Behavior Change Programming

Brittany Bloodhart, Janet K. Swim and Matthew J. Zawadzki
Additional contact information
Brittany Bloodhart: Center for Climate Change Communication, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
Janet K. Swim: Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Psychology, 251 Moore Bldg., University Park, PA 16802, USA
Matthew J. Zawadzki: Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Bldg., University Park, PA 16802, USA

Sustainability, 2013, vol. 5, issue 4, 1-19

Abstract: Making pro-environmental behavior changes can be difficult, particularly when these changes challenge daily routines and comfortable lifestyles. We designed and implemented an eco-representative intervention program to help students reduce their energy use by proactively coping with barriers to pro-environmental behavior change, and then communicate effective behavior change strategies to student peers. Twenty-nine first-year college students participated in a four-week proactive coping training to change five environmentally impactful behaviors and then spread behavior change messages to fellow residents during a two-week energy challenge. Eco-reps successfully changed their own behaviors in a pro-environmental direction by generating important barriers and successful facilitators for behavior change, and eco-rep residence halls were more likely to reduce energy and maintain reductions compared to non-eco-rep halls. Implications for future environmental behavior change interventions are discussed.

Keywords: eco-teams; proactive coping; pro-environmental behavior change; student intervention programs; residence hall competition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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