The Effect of Environmental Themed Visuals/Art on Pro Environmental Behavior Within SUNY Potsdam Students (2023)

In this study, we investigated the impact of art and visual representations on SUNY Potsdam students’ environmental behavior. We conducted the experiment with a control group and two treatment groups, which were exposed to different visual stimuli. Our control group took the survey without any visual aids, while Treatment Group One watched an animation video called “Wake Up, Freak Out,” and Treatment Group Two participated in a three-dimensional design activity and watched a presentation on “Gaia Theory and Climate Grief Exploration in Art and Science.” We administered the survey to all groups twice, with one week between each administration. After collecting the data, we conducted a T-Test on the before and after results of all groups and an ANOVA and T-Test on the after results to determine any significant differences. Our study suggests that art and visual representations have a positive impact on students’ environmental behavior, which can have significant implications for promoting sustainable practices in higher education