How to Reduce Energy Consumption in Student Dormitories - Assignment Example

? Topic: Behavior Change Behavior analysis is a natural science approach to the study of the behavior of organisms; it is an active and productive discipline within the general field of psychology concerned with the examination and elucidation of the theoretical underpinnings of the science, the experimental analysis of the basic principles that govern behavior and the application of basic principles of behavior to issues of personal and social importance, (Leslie & O'Reilly, 1999). Bangor University is trying to reduce its energy use in student hostels Attitudinal studies have shown that residents say that they would respond positively to incentive schemes that encourage them to purchase energy saving measures for their homes as well as their places of residence such as hostels. This approach deviates for local and national regulators that have traditionally relied on combinations of strategic legislation, public information in national campaigns and targeted funding and subsidies to help home owners as well as hostel residents lower their energy consumption as well as adapt alternatives to energy generated by fossil fuels. This shift in emphasis towards methods is aligned to the theories of behavioral economics than the public information is exemplified by the interests that governments are taking in this approach. According to Bichard & Thurairajah, (2013), in this era of climate change, there have been efforts to adapt to the conservation of available energy as well as think about the next generation. Countries such as the UK have developed policies in response to climate change through the adaptation of the climate change acts that aim to achieve 80 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 with respect to the 1990 baseline. Hence, at the individual level such as those living in a hostel a number of questions arise on issues such as understanding the current problem and caring about the resolving of the problem. The need to know about what to do about energy saving, solutions that will work as well as influence to others on the behavior change on energy saving need to be focused, (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980). Strategies have been devised and tested in both the attitudinal phase and the trial phase stemming from the theory of reasoned action seeking to explain the contributing influences that enable actions to follow from attitudes. This theory has also enabled the designers to inhibit actions in response to both climate change and energy saving. For effective behavior change in energy saving aspects down in surroundings such as a hostel setting, there need to be appraisals on the threats that are brought about in the use and misuse of energy. The threats involved and the possibility that such threats materializes and the extent that the livelihoods in the hostel need to be synthesized with respect to the change in living conditions. The responses to such threats of energy misuse in emotional terms as well as the responses to act will go a long way in the determination of the motivational processes that will be given priority in acting in a timely manner. The methodology will concentrate on various factors such as incentives and norms, sometimes referred to as nudge and think, (John, Smith & Stoker, 2009). Other factors in consideration are influences on the information offered at key points in the residents' decision making as all these factors need to be positively enhanced to make a difference to householder behavior. Rewards towards behavior change in the energy use are most likely to conclude positive incentives in stimulating a variety of behaviors and can be a constructive tool in consolidating behavior change, (Smith, Nolen-Hoeksemas, Fredrickson & Loftus, 2003). The most possible conclusion would be an operational concept for describing the positive value that an individual ascribes to an object, behavioral act or an internal physical state, which can be influenced by relative behavior of other residents. Civic collaborations as well as the involvement of community influencer will help in the development of an understanding of the importance of collaborative actions that comes with group psychology. There will be a general good understanding in the need to support green initiatives. Energy audits, energy saving improvements and rewards among the residents will serve to know the extent to which the effectiveness of the behavior change has been achieved. Such audits will be scoped to provide a simpler and more effective real picture of the status of the hostels against the recommended levels of energy conservation as initially proper gated. Trained persons should be given the mandate to cover such audits as well as acknowledge the use of the specific rewards in the conservation effort. Finally, interview need to be done to show the possible effects of the whole process as well as established way forward in keeping up the energy saving habits as challenges faced are tackled. Increasing the attendance of their after-school clubs and in particular their Art & Theatre club Laboratory studies of adaptive behaviours to prevailing conditions such as the existing environmental conditions come into category described as voluntary, (Leslie, 1996). Hence, the law of effect and this discovery has had profound influence on the subsequent development of behavioral analysis. It is insistence on behavior as an independence subject matter of science aimed at the prediction and control of behavior, and in its stress on a microscopic analysis of the environment and behavior into stimuli responses as the way to eventual understanding of complex patterns of behavior. However, the attempt to force all behavior into the reflex mold proved a failure as explanatory mechanism for the many complex and subtle adjustments that adult organisms, including humans, make into their environment. As a fundamental proposition, the science of behavior could be called descriptive or functional i.e. it could limit itself to the discovery of relationships or correlations between measurable variables in this case the responses to the after-school club activities. The identification of functional relationships is hence important in determination of the aspects of behavior referred to as dependent variables and the parameters of the environment referred as the independent variables in the goal of a science behavior. Some students may view the art and theatre activities as a destruction to the initial notion that brought them to school – learning. Hence there is need to drive the point of contention in determining the importance of play as well as mental development through the use of such activities as well as their incorporation in the learning environment. Many categories of behavior are emitted in the simple sense that they will occur from time to time hence the adoption of a unique strategy of scientifically studying these behaviours even though their immediate antecedents remain unknown. The methodology to be applied in this case of behavior change would involve the exploration of the systematic and quantitative relationship to motivational variables and to a host of reward and punishments or rather parameters that reinforce a certain behavioral aspect. The arts and theatre activities can be designed in such a way that the rewards exceed the intended initial advances if the activities are propelled above expected levels. This would include learning avenues such as artistic representation of class relevant materials to instill the view that these activities are an extension of the class learned materials. Building on purposive behavior what occur at the instigation of the individual rather than being elicited by the onset of an external stimulus will be a starting point in the enhancement of a voluntary behavior and its success implementation. The double effect in such a case would be enhanced understanding of class material as well as the incorporation of a diverse form of learning in the form of acting arts. Interesting questions about whether or not a given act will occur, or how often it will occur can however be a basic measure in the response rate. The general measure of the success of such a methodology would be the general observations in the attendance of the theatre arts as well as an analysis of the enthusiasm in the performance of art. A well designed and choreographed art and theatre activities have the potential of also pulling crowds for audience purposes as well as sponsors to competition among the various schools. Apart from class and theatre excellence, the general study performance will be a measure of the ability of the students involved in participating in career development activities; there need to be an alternative relationship, whereby the response can be emitted from time to time in the presence of an environmental stimulus, the stimulus that controls the responses. Such response in the sense of producing it, as the frequency or probability of the responses alters when the stimulus is present, but its onset does not elicit response. The direction taken by a young mind in class as well as after class activities is determined by, in part, the areas in which it achieves its success. In opting to study this kind of behavior, other important decisions on the advancement of such a program will be determined in the event an evaluation analysis takes place in class performance as well as theatre and artistic activities. References Ajzen, I. & Fishbein, M. (1980). Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Social Behaviour. Upper Saddle River, NJ : Prentice-Hall, Bichard, E., & Thurairajah, N., (2013). Manchester, UK. School of the Built Environment, University of Salford. Energy Conservation behavior change. 13 (2), pp. 165-185 John, P., Smith, G. & Stoker, G. (2009). Nudge nudge, think think: two strategies for changing civic behavior. The Political Quarterly 80 (3), pp. 317-456. Leslie, J. C., & O'Reilly, M. F. (1999). Behavior analysis: Foundations and applications to psychology. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Harwood Academic Publishers. Leslie, J. C. (1996). Principles of behavioral analysis. Amsterdam: Harwood Academic. Smith, E.E., Nolen-Hoeksemas, S., Fredrickson, B. & Loftus, G. (2003), Introduction to Psychology. Atkinson and Hilgard’s,. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.   Read More