Abstract Title
Development of Environmental Behavior Among Children in Idaho Via Parent and Peer Influences
Abstract
Idaho is known for its many outdoor opportunities. Understanding how people learn to value the outdoors, and how these values become environmental behaviors, in a state like Idaho is important. Research in environmental behavior has often focused on adults, with children commonly overlooked. However, knowing when a child’s environmental beliefs solidify could fill a vital gap in protecting our environment for the future. Furthermore, focusing on children and their parents would provide an understanding of parental and peer influence on environmental behavioral changes as children grow and mature. To understand and study environmental behavior among children in Idaho, we reviewed information on the few studies that have already been done in children and some successful studies done in adults that can be modified for children. We selected one method of study to be conducted in the Boise area for a diverse group of children of different ages and their parents. This is a tool that can be applied in diverse settings in order to understand how children learn environmental behavior as they grow up. Using this tool can provide information about the current level of environmental education as well as ways to improve it.
Development of Environmental Behavior Among Children in Idaho Via Parent and Peer Influences
Idaho is known for its many outdoor opportunities. Understanding how people learn to value the outdoors, and how these values become environmental behaviors, in a state like Idaho is important. Research in environmental behavior has often focused on adults, with children commonly overlooked. However, knowing when a child’s environmental beliefs solidify could fill a vital gap in protecting our environment for the future. Furthermore, focusing on children and their parents would provide an understanding of parental and peer influence on environmental behavioral changes as children grow and mature. To understand and study environmental behavior among children in Idaho, we reviewed information on the few studies that have already been done in children and some successful studies done in adults that can be modified for children. We selected one method of study to be conducted in the Boise area for a diverse group of children of different ages and their parents. This is a tool that can be applied in diverse settings in order to understand how children learn environmental behavior as they grow up. Using this tool can provide information about the current level of environmental education as well as ways to improve it.