Addressing University Students Climate Change Knowledge–Behavior Gap Using Self-Determination Theory

There is often a disconnect between what university students know and believe about climate change and their level of engagement in meaningful, pro-environmental practices. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the climate change knowledge and behaviors of undergraduate students, compared to state and national respondents and to recognize existing and potential support for supporting engagement in climate change mitigating behaviors. A survey instrument aligned to the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC) Opinion Maps was administered to 1032 undergraduate students at Kean University in New Jersey. Odds ratio analysis suggests the likelihood of students to respond to statements regarding knowledge, risk perceptions, policy support, and behaviors, compared to surveyed populations in New Jersey and the United States. Results indicate that Kean University students are (1) knowledgeable about climate change, (2) express strong concern and policy support, and (3) regularly engage in accessible, low-barrier actions, yet are less frequently involved in less readily accessible, high-barrier actions. Interpreting these patterns through Self-determination Theory, we suggest that students’ basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are more fully supported for individual engagement than for collective forms of engagement and discuss campus initiatives that may sustain meaningful climate engagement.