Commitment to the environment and student support for “green” campus initiatives

Abstract

Past research has demonstrated that commitment to the environment strongly predicts global pro-environmental intentions. This research is the first to examine whether the commitment to the environment model predicts college students’ endorsement of institutional-level changes that may be proposed by university or college administration. Participants were 96 college men and 142 college women who completed questionnaires designed to assess commitment to the environment constructs, willingness to sacrifice for the environment, and support for a series of campus conservation initiatives. A path analysis revealed that the commitment model predicted college students’ endorsement of hypothetical “green” campus initiatives. Specifically, commitment to the environment mediated the paths from satisfaction and investments to hypothetical green campus initiatives. Results suggest that endorsement of green campus initiatives may be better received on campuses by students who recognize their interdependence with the environment, characterized by high commitment to the natural environment.