Effects of a behaviour change intervention for Girl Scouts on child and parent energy-saving behaviours

Hilary Boudet (), Nicole M. Ardoin, June Flora, K. Carrie Armel, Manisha Desai and Thomas N. Robinson
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Hilary Boudet: Sociology, School of Public Policy, Oregon State University, 300B Gilkey Hall
Nicole M. Ardoin: Graduate School of Education and Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, 485 Lasuen Mall
June Flora: Human Sciences and Technologies Advanced Research Institute, Graduate School of Education and Solutions Science Lab, School of Medicine, Stanford University
K. Carrie Armel: Precourt Energy Efficiency Center, Stanford University
Manisha Desai: Quantitative Sciences Unit, School of Medicine, Stanford University
Thomas N. Robinson: Stanford Solutions Science Lab, School of Medicine, Stanford University

Nature Energy, 2016, vol. 1, issue 8, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Energy education programmes for children are hypothesized to have great potential to save energy. Such interventions are often assumed to impact child and family behaviours. Here, using a cluster-randomized controlled trial with 30 Girl Scout troops in Northern California, we assess the efficacy of two social cognitive theory-based interventions focused on residential and food-and-transportation energy-related behaviours of Girl Scouts and their families. We show that Girl Scouts and parents in troops randomly assigned to the residential energy intervention significantly increased their self-reported residential energy-saving behaviours immediately following the intervention and after more than seven months of follow-up, compared with controls. Girl Scouts in troops randomly assigned to the food-and-transportation energy intervention significantly increased their self-reported food-and-transportation energy-saving behaviours immediately following the intervention, compared with controls, but not at follow-up. The results demonstrate that theory-based, child-focused energy interventions have the potential to increase energy-saving behaviours among both children and their parents.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/nenergy.2016.91

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