Effectiveness of a Competition-Based Intervention in Promoting Pro-Environmental Behavior in a University Residential Setting

摘要

A large number of university-based energy reduction efforts have been implemented inrnrecent years, but few have been subjected to empirical evaluation. The aim of the present studyrnwas to evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based intervention in reducing energy consumption inrna university residential setting. The study used a prospective experimental design with a controlrngroup. To engage participants, the project was implemented using a building-versus-buildingrncompetition framework. Participants completed baseline and follow-up self-report surveysrnregarding energy use behaviors and key constructs derived from the Theory of Planned Behaviorrnand the Norm Activation Model. A web-based application was developed with buildingsrnassigned access to different intervention content. A total of 298 students participated in the firstrnsurvey and 225 in the second, yielding a follow-up rate of 76%. Combined, the target buildingsrnreduced their daily average electricity consumption by 8% during the 8-week competitionrncompared to the baseline use levels, indicating that a competition-based intervention was viablernin this setting. Only 6 students registered to use the web-based intervention application, however,rnwhich suggests that the requirement for registration was a barrier to use. Different methods ofrnintervention content delivery may be better suited to an undergraduate population. Additionalrnanalyses using the self-report data will investigate individual-level changes in pro-environmentalrnattitudes and behavior.