FACTORS AFFECTING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIORS

Abstract

In the last half-century, it is seen that climate change has occurred much faster and more effectively, harming physiological and psychological health. However, efforts to persuade people to act environmentally are not sufficient to prevent human-induced climate change. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effect of knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about climate change on environmental behavior. For this purpose, a total of 201 students who are continuing their education at a foundation university in Istanbul and willing to participate in the research were administered the Climate Change Related Psychological Distress Scale, Climate Change Self-Efficacy Scale (ISCO), Climate Change Belief Scale, Environmental Behavior Scale, Perceived Severity of the Climate Change and Demographic Information Form. As a result of the multiple linear regression analysis, it was seen that climate change education, psychological distress, and climate change self-efficacy significantly predicted environmental behavior. Among all variables, it was observed that the highest variance in environmental behavior was explained by education on climate change. In light of the findings of the study, it was thought that university students could be informed about climate change and what can be done to prevent it, so that students could behave environmentally.

Keywords

• : climate change
• environmental behavior
• global warming
• sustainable behavior
• climate change belief
• self-efficacy
• distress

ÜNİVERSİTE ÖĞRENCİLERİNİN ÇEVRECİ DAVRANIŞLARINI ETKİLEYEN FAKTÖRLER

Abstract

Son yarım asırda iklim değişikliğinin çok daha hızlı ve etkili bir şekilde gerçekleşerek, fizyolojik ve psikolojik sağlığa zarar verdiği görülmektedir. Buna rağmen insan kaynaklı iklim değişikliğini engellemek için insanları çevreci davranış göstermeye ikna etme çabaları yeterli olmamaktadır. Bu çalışmada Türkiye’deki üniversite öğrencilerinin iklim değişikliği ile ilgili bilgi, tutum, inanışlarının çevreci davranışları üzerindeki etkisinin araştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaçla, İstanbul’da yer alan bir vakıf üniversitesinde eğitimlerine devam eden, araştırmaya katılmaya gönüllü toplam 201 öğrenciye İklim Değişikliğine İlişkin Psikolojik Sıkıntı Ölçeği, İklim Değişikliği Öz Yeterlilik Ölçeği (İDÖYÖ), İklim Değişikliği İnanç Ölçeği, Çevreci Davranış Ölçeği ve Demografik Bilgi Formu uygulanmıştır. Yapılan lineer çoklu regresyon analizi sonucunda, iklim değişikliği eğitimi, psikolojik sıkıntı, iklim değişikliği öz-yeterliliğinin çevreci davranışı anlamlı olarak yordadığı görülmüştür. Tüm değişkenler arasında çevreci davranışa ilişkin en fazla varyansın iklim değişikliği ile ilgili eğitim alma tarafından açıklandığı, bunu iklim değişikliği akla gelince deneyimlenen psikolojik sıkıntının takip ettiği görülmüştür. Çalışmada elde edilen bulgular ışığında üniversite öğrencilerinin iklim değişikliği ve bunu önlemeye yönelik yapılabilecekler hakkında bilgilendirilerek öğrencilerin çevreci davranış göstermelerinin sağlanabileceği düşünülmüştür.

Keywords

• iklim değişikliği
• çevreci davranış
• küresel ısınma
• sürdürülebilir davranış
• iklim değişikliği inancı
• öz-yeterlik
• psikolojik sıkıntı

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