Web-based Behavioral Interventions for Sustainability: A Study of Effectiveness in Undergraduate Residential Communities
Open Access
Author:
Roth, Justin Gordon
Area of Honors:
Information Sciences and Technology
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Erika S Poole, Thesis Supervisor Erika S Poole, Thesis Honors Advisor Eun Kyoung Choe, Faculty Reader
Keywords:
sustainability institute checklist behavior change waste energy health belief model intervention
Abstract:
This thesis discusses the deployment of an interactive sustainability-themed action tracking tool (as a web-based behavioral intervention) in an empirical study which sought to evaluate its effectiveness in influencing the waste and energy management behaviors of first-year Penn State undergraduate students. In the study, which uniquely extends the Health Belief Model of social psychology to the domain of sustainable behavior change, data concerning waste diversion across three streams (landfill-bound trash, mixed recycling, and organic compost), as well as data reflecting electricity consumption, were gathered from two similar university dormitories: one whose residents were exposed to the intervention, the other whose residents were not. These data were then analyzed to determine the degree to which exposure to a web-based intervention influences student behavior in the context of sustainability. The results show slight correlations between exposure to the intervention and sustainable behavior at particular points in time, but more research is needed to confirm the validity of these results and extrapolate them to other settings.
