Introduction
Preschoolers are natural environmentalists! Chenhao Hu and Shen Wu recently published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology (2022) providing evidence that preschoolers feel a sense of responsibility for the environment and will act pro-environmentally in their sphere of influence.
Pro-environmental Behaviour
Pro-environmental behaviour develops a feeling of responsibility toward the environment and is one way to respond to the urgent call for a sustainability between humans and the planet. Hu & Wu (2022) explore how pro-environmental behaviours develop in childhood. Existing research demonstrates that preschoolers can think pro-environmentally, but it was believed that acting on those attitudes occur when the children are older.
The Research Approach
The researchers designed two studies to explore preschoolers (4-6 year olds) environment-related actions in child-friendly games. The studies included 211 children from Chinese kindergarten classes, divided into age groups. The study was conducted in a playroom at school where the children watched video clips of dolls behaving in pro-environmental or anti-environmental ways. The children were invited to play games that focused on the doll behaviour. Figure 1 (p.4) in the article summarizes the game structure.
4 Ways Preschoolers Show Pro-environmental Behaviour
Hu & Wu (2022) “offers, for the first time, a unique contribution to depicting a developmental trend in 4-6 year old preschoolers’ behavioural responses to environmental-related actions” (p.8):
- Preschoolers reward pro-environmental actions
- They punish anti-environmental actions
- Until age six, preschoolers are less likely to punish anti-environmental actions if there is a personal cost
- They demonstrate an increasingly sophisticated reasoning for their decisions between ages 4-6 yrs.
The results show that six year old children rewarded pro-environmental actions more than 4 & 5 year olds, while 4–6-year-olds consistently punished anti-environmental actions. Moreover, 6-year- olds systematically reasoned and insisted on punishment, even at a personal sacrifice. “Preschoolers can act pro-environmentally, suggesting that beginning early in their development, they show a behavioral capacity and willingness to encourage pro-environmental behavior.” (Hu & Wu, 2022, p.1).
Conclusion
Education and parenting practices that support preschoolers’ capacity to reason pro-environmentally offers a promising avenue to promote lifelong attitudes and behaviors toward environmental protection and sustainability.
Additional reading on this topic from a trusted source:
Recent post exploring research on the importance of wild spaces in fostering pro-environmental behaviour.
The ChariTree Foundation – a Canadian national climate education + United Nations Climate Observer organization for children and youth.
