The Relationship Between Environmental Concern and Environmental Action in the US as Affected by Age Group

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Faculty Sponsor: Dr Valerie Nazzaro

Live Poster Session: https://wesleyan.zoom.us/j/93137621386

Aviva Branoff

Aviva is a Junior major of Environmental Science and Science and Technology Studies at Wesleyan University. She is currently a leader of the Sunrise Movement Wesleyan Hub which engages students with environmental activism on campus as well as at the state wide and national levels. Aviva likes to spend her free time going on hikes, reading Sci-Fi novels, and playing guitar with her housemates. 

Abstract: This poster examines the relationship between environmental concern and environmental action as it is affected by age. It looks at environmental concern and environmental action as two categorical variables, each ranked based on the respondent’s answer of 1 through 5. The variable of age is divided into 3 categories; young adult(ages 18-34), middle age(35-64), and elder age (65+). An ANOVA bivariate analysis demonstrates a significant positive relationship between environmental concern and environmental action. A multiple linear regression test shows that age moderates the relationship between the other two variables. Middle aged respondents followed a relationship that most resembled a positive linear correlation while the young adult age category was more involved in environmental action regardless of lower environmental concern and eldest ages were even more so. Further research is needed to determine any potential confounding variables such as wealth, occupation, or location of residence.

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