Q: What are the most effective tools for encouraging individuals to live in more environmentally conscious ways, by translating changes in attitudes and beliefs into concrete behaviors?
Asked by Richard Katzev, ’58, from Portland, Ore.
Behavior change doesn't happen overnight. People usually move through several stages before converting a belief in energy savings into an action, such as driving less or recycling more. The transtheoretical model of health psychology suggests that there are usually five essential stages to help an individual achieve behavior change:
- Awareness
- Contemplation
- Preparation
- Action
- Maintenance
The first step is making the general public aware of not only the environmental challenges facing society, but also of the behavioral changes that can make a difference. Education, especially among youth who will grow up to face greater sustainability challenges, is crucial in convincing people that green is good, and furthermore, within reach. "Many people think a lot about why they care for the environment," says Anna Merritt, Stanford PhD candidate in social psychology, "but in the act of caring many think they've done their environmental duty for the day."
Of course, there is something to be said for caring and contemplation. Blogs, classroom discussions, and simple personal reflection can initiate deep contemplation of the issues at hand. Contemplation helps move people beyond awareness into a deeper sort of engagement. Internalizing the threats we face, and the ways in which consumers can institute incremental change, can propel people into the next phase: preparation.
Preparation involves gathering everything you need to make a lifestyle change in order to meet certain sustainability goals. If you aim to commit to less driving, then understanding local public transportation routes, factoring in extra travel time, and mentally preparing for this shift in the daily commute are all necessary steps toward action.
Then, the big one: action. Alas, that magical "tipping point" from preparation into action varies among individuals and depends on the strength of their motivations, but Merritt notes that convenience and saving money are key aspects to encouraging people to act on their beliefs about sustainability.
While one or two actions may prove beneficial, the maintenance of these actions—which is what makes them lifestyle alterations—will be the ultimate determination of true behavioral change. Maintenance is more successful when people have a support network that they can fall back on to reinforce the actions they are committing to.
While there is no simple answer to the question of what exactly motivates the initiation of these steps, we may conclude that behavior change is gradual. Starting somewhere, no matter how tiny the change, is better than nothing. Most people begin with easily attainable changes that are comfortable for them.
There are many theories that suggest what causes people to move through the five steps from awareness to maintenance. We'll take a look at a few of them in more detail, but the reality is, we have no exact recipe for success at hand. Some may favor a few ingredients for behavioral changes, while others may find some other combination of strategies better tickles their taste buds for sustainable living.
Persuasion . . . Really, it works!
Persuasion theory extends as far back as Aristotle's three appeals: ethos, pathos and logos. A modern interpretation suggests that the credibility of the speaker, the strength of the arguments presented in the message, and the receptiveness of the audience help determine whether or not persuasion will initiate behavioral change.
"Remind people often of their commitment to a certain goal," says Merritt, "and the steps they'll take to achieve it." Here around campus, you'll find stickers on nearly every paper towel dispenser reading, "Remember, these come from trees." These daily reminders are enough to convince me that air-drying my hands or a quick pat down on my pants to spare some paper towels is worth it. However, while these stickers elicit a positive response from me, others may question how much paper was used and how large of a carbon footprint resulted from the production of these stickers, and reach for that paper towel anyway. While many support an appeal to logical steps as particularly persuasive, others propose that the audience's response to the persuasion message, rather than routine reminders, is more significant.
Dr. Renee Bator (State University of New York, Plattsburgh) and Dr. Robert Cialdini (Arizona State University), research psychologists studying persuasion and marketing, outlined some key components of successful persuasion methods:
- The imagination and emotional appeal of the message
- Its immediacy, directness and relevance
- An indication of involvement through commitment (i.e. a bumper sticker to declaring yourself dedicated or loyal)
- A "retrieval cue" that reminds the reader to act (i.e. a catchy slogan or memorable image)
- By incorporating one or more of these suggestions, your message can help motivate people to hop on that city bus, or put that recycling bin out on the curb.
Carrots and Sticks
Behavioral psychologists suggest that rewards and punishment for our actions often shape behavior more effectively than logical appeals to the benefits of green consumerism. If I'm punished for buying an incandescent light bulb and rewarded for buying a fluorescent one, chances are I'll buy a fluorescent bulb. Such strategies are often more effective than bombarding the audience with information about the carbon footprint of each bulb.
Go With the Flow
Social learning can play a large role in the establishment of norms and sustainable behaviors. The social learning theory proposes that we model our behavior on the actions of those around us, whether parents, peers, celebrities or others in positions of power and visibility. Seeing a recycling bin in your neighbors' driveways can remind and encourage you to put one out too.
Help! Too Much Information
It's also important to note that encouraging sustainable behavior can go wrong. Information overload can drive people away rather than pull them in. We usually prefer to explore questions at our own pace, and generally favor playing a role in the dialogue rather than being told what to do, since feelings of incompetence or helplessness are usually unpleasant.
Thus, it's a good idea to help people understand certain situations—such as why public transportation is a good option, or why recycling is beneficial—then invite them to propose individual actions that they could take to help remedy the situation so that they feel empowered.
From Inspiration to Action
While multiple strategies exist to motivate sustainable action, when you boil it down, some strategies may resonate with some people but not others, depending on how resistant we are to change and a variety of other moral, emotional and social factors. As the Act Bolder campaign proves, it's important to acknowledge the bold actions that motivate others in the community to follow along. I just added my own post to the blog: "Reused some plastic bags today to carry my lunch." I'm feeling bolder already.
Suggestions for Further Reading
You can check out the following blogs for inspiration and tips on how to live in a more sustainable fashion:
- Beyond Attitude: Tips on Fostering Sustainable Behavior
- Green Living Tips: Earth-friendly advice for going green. Reducing costs, consumption and impact on the environment!
KATIE JEWETT plans to receive her bachelor's in human biology in 2011.
