Preparing for a Resilient Future: Yabut Speaks on Conservation Behavior among the Youth

Does an understanding of the environment mean we will treat it with greater care?

This was a point of discussion when Dr. Homer Yabut – Department of Psychology associate professor and SDRC research fellow – spoke on behalf of the Center during the “SERP-P Knowledge-Sharing Forum on Capacitating and Investing in the Youth for a Productive and Resilient Future” conducted on August 11 via Zoom and Facebook Live. Presenting a paper entitled “Conservation Behavior among Students in a University in Metro Manila: The Moderating Role of Attitudes on the Impact of Environmental Knowledge,” co-authored with researcher Anne Claire Simpao, Dr. Yabut observed that positive attitudes about conservation can enhance the relationship between environmental knowledge and conservation behavior.

The study discovered that female university students aged 27 and above, who were at the undergraduate level and in their fifth year or higher, with a family income of P20,000 and below, had the highest level of engagement in conservation behavior. Possible reasons for this were that women demonstrated greater affinity and support for the environment; older students provided support for themselves and their families, and thus had limited use of basic necessities and other spending; and that college students had more positive attitudes toward the environment.

Given these findings, it was recommended that educational institutions focus on environmental topics that are action-oriented and promote sustainable practices; students make an effort to be more knowledgeable about environmental matters, both on and off campus; and that universities supplement environmental education with practices and regulations that can help shape positive conservation behavior among students.

The virtual forum was conducted as the contribution of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies and the Socioeconomic Research Portal for the Philippines (SERP-P) to the observance of International Youth Day on August 12.