646 research outputs found
Protecting the environment for self-interested reasons. Altruism is not the only pathway to sustainability
No full textConcerns for environmental issues are important drivers of sustainable and pro-environmental behaviors, and can be differentiated between those with a self-enhancing (egoistic) vs. self-transcendent (biospheric) psychological foundation. Yet to date, the dominant approach for promoting pro-environmental behavior has focused on highlighting the benefits to others or nature, rather than appealing to self-interest. Building on the Inclusion Model for Environmental Concern, we argue that egoistic and biospheric environmental concerns, respectively, conceptualized as self-interest and altruism, are hierarchically structured, such that altruism is inclusive of self-interest. Three studies show that self-interested individuals will behave more pro-environmentally when the behavior results in a personal benefit (but not when there is exclusively an environmental benefit), while altruistic individuals will engage in pro-environmental behaviors when there are environmental benefits, and critically, also when there are personal benefits. The reported findings have implications for programs and policies designed to promote pro-environmental behavior, and for social science research aimed at understanding human responses to a changing environmen
Supplemental_Material – Supplemental material for The Persuasive Route to Sustainable Mobility: Elaboration Likelihood Model and Emotions predict Implicit Attitudes
No full textSupplemental material, Supplemental_Material for The Persuasive Route to Sustainable Mobility: Elaboration Likelihood Model and Emotions predict Implicit Attitudes by Sara Manca, Gianmarco Altoè, P. Wesley Schultz and Ferdinando Fornara in Environment and Behavior</p
The Persuasive Route to Sustainable Mobility: Elaboration Likelihood Model and Emotions predict Implicit Attitudes
No full textPersuasive communication campaigns are often used to promote proenvironmental actions, even though their effectiveness has been mixed. Previous research has tested cognitive-based models in explaining proenvironmental choice, but few studies have examined the potential impact of emotional dimensions. This experimental study tests the persuasive effect of argument quality, source expertise, and emotions on the implicit attitudes toward sustainable travel choices. This was a 2 × 2 × 2 between-subjects research design with an additional measured variable of involvement with the topic of sustainable transport. A video including the experimental manipulations was presented, followed by the Implicit Association Test (IAT). Consistent with the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), in the case of high involvement, implicit attitudes were more positive in the condition of high-quality arguments, while in case of low involvement, implicit attitudes were more positive in the condition of high source expertise. In addition, the main effect of anticipated negative emotions was significant
Conservation Means Behavior
No full textMost instances of deteriorating environmental conditions are caused by human behavior. Although there are certainly instances of such environmental conditions developing from natural processes, most are largely the result of human activity. Drivers of phenomena such as climate change, loss of species’ habitats, and ocean acidification rarely are the result of malicious intent, but rather the con- sequence of the lifestyles of billions of humans. Accordingly, efforts to promote conservation must change behavior (Ehrlich&Kennedy 2005; Schultz&Kaiser 2012). This fundamental link between conservation and behavior has been noted in a number of recent publications. Mascia et al. (2003) state that “Biodiversity conservation is a human endeavor: initiated by humans, designed by humans, and intended to modify human behavior.. ..”Cowling (2005) calls this realization “an epiphany for.. .natural scientists.” And Balmford and Cowling (2006) note that “conservation is primarily not about biology but about people and the choices they make.” Here I would go one step further and propose that conservation is a goal that can only be achieved by changing behavior. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Schultz, P. W. (2011). Conservation means behavior. Conservation Biology, 25, 1080-1083., which has been published in final form at 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2011.01766.x. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.Schultz, P. W. (2011). Conservation means behavior. Conservation Biology, 25, 1080-1083. doi: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2011.01766.x.0888-889
The Influence of Norm Feedback on Conservation Behavior: Replicating the Boomerang Effect
No full textResearch shows that social norms can be tools to encourage positive behaviors, but recent studies are also asking the question of whether the powerful draw toward the norm can also have negative implications.
When individuals are provided with normative information, specifically descriptive norms which denote the behavior engaged in by members of the group, they use this knowledge to gauge and often adjust their own behavior (Schultz et al., 2007). Whether it be above or below the norm, being made aware of deviation from the norm, even in positive ways such as lower energy consumption, can cause individuals to change their behavior in the direction of the norm (Schultz et al., 2007). Further studies have shown the potential to combat this boomerang effect by acknowledging compliance with injunctive norms, in the form of a smiley face signifying social approval, when revealing to people that their behavior falls below the norm in a positive way (such as lower levels of water consumption) (Schultz et al., 2019). The proposed study is designed to replicate the 2007 study discussing the theory of this boomerang effect and the potential for injunctive norms to moderate it
Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors Across Cultures
No full textOne of the fundamental aspects of culture is the relationship it prescribes between individuals and environment. Am I part of the natural environment, or am I separate and perhaps superior to nature? The answer to this question influences the types of attitudes that individuals within a given culture are likely to develop, the types of environmental behaviors that individuals are likely to adopt, and more generally, beliefs about how to solve environmental problems. This chapter examines differences in attitudes about environmental issues across cultures. We distinguish between egoistic environmental attitudes, and biospheric environmental attitudes, and summarize recent cross-cultural research on the relationship between cultural values and attitudes about the natural environment
Empathizing With Nature: The Effects of Perspective Taking on Concern for Environmental Issues
No full textIn this article, I propose that concern for environmental problems is fundamentally linked to the degree to which people view themselves as part of the natural environment. Two studies are reported that test aspects of this theory. The first study describes the structure of people’s concern for environmental problems. Results from a confirmatory factor analysis showed a clear three-factor structure, which I labeled egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric. A second study examined the effects of a perspective-taking manipulation on egoistic, social-altruistic, and biospheric environmental concerns. Results showed that participants instructed to take the perspective of an animal being harmed by pollution scored significantly higher in biospheric environmental concerns than participants instructed to remain objective. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Schultz, P. W. (2000). Empathizing with nature: The effects of perspective-taking on concern for environmental issues. Journal of Social Issues, 56, 391-406. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00174., which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00174. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.Schultz, P. W. (2000). Empathizing with nature: The effects of perspective-taking on concern for environmental issues. Journal of Social Issues, 56, 391-406. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00174.0022-453
The Attitude–Behavior Relationship: A Test of Three Models of the Moderating Role of Behavioral Difficulty
No full textThe moderating role of behavioral difficulty in the attitude–behavior relationship remains a controversial topic in social psychology. Previous research has been unclear in establishing the direction of this moderation, and 3 theoretical models have been proposed: positive and linear; negative and monotonic; and quadratic. The current paper reports analyses of survey data from 5 different studies that afford measures of environmental attitude, behavior, and behavioral difficulty. Across these studies, we found a substantial and unmoderated average attitude–behavior relationship (r = .54). The data also show that the attitude–behavior relationship is weaker for extremely easy and extremely difficult behaviors. Additional analyses suggest, however, that these reductions in the attitude–behavior relationship are probably because of methodological reasons. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Kaiser, F. G., & Schultz, P. W. (2009). The attitude-behavior relationship: A test of three models of the moderating role of behavioral difficulty. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 39, 186-207. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2008.00435.x., which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2008.00435.x. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.Kaiser, F. G., & Schultz, P. W. (2009). The attitude-behavior relationship: A test of three models of the moderating role of behavioral difficulty. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 39, 186- 207. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2008.00435.x.0021-902
Self, Identity, and the Natural Environment: Exploring Implicit Connections With Nature
No full textUsing the Implicit Association Test (IAT), we examined the tendency for people to associate self with natural or built environments, the malleability of these scores across context, and the relationship between these implicit associations and explicit attitudes about environmental issues. Five studies are reported using a handheld IAT administration in a variety of field contexts. The psychometric properties of the handheld administration were comparable to those obtained with laboratory administration. The cumulative results across the 5 studies suggest that implicit self–nature associations are malleable, but that change requires long-term or repeated experiences. Findings are interpreted within a model of environmental identity. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Schultz, P. W., & Tabanico, J. (2007). Self, identity, and the natural environment. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 37, 1219-1247. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00210.x., which has been published in final form at Article Available (http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1559- 1816.2007.00210.x). This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.Schultz, P. W., & *Tabanico, J. (2007). Self, identity, and the natural environment. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 37, 1219-1247. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1559- 1816.2007.00210.x.0021-902
Choosing Effective Behavior Change Tools
No full textAchieving a sustainable future will require that people do things differently. Community-based social marketing (CBSM) provides a framework for fostering sustainable behavior, and the approach is being increasingly utilized across a range of domains including energy conservation, recycling, reducing water consumption, promoting sustainable seafood consumption, and many others. This article provides guidance to practitioners about the optimal use of specific behavior change tools. The article summarizes commitment strategies, social diffusion, goal setting, social norms, prompts, incentives, feedback, and convenience as effective tools for encouraging changes in behavior. For each, we summarize the basic approach and provide recommendations regarding when each tool is most appropriate, depending on the existing levels of barriers and benefits associated with the target behavior. The article concludes with three examples of CBSM to illustrate this selection process.McKenzie-Mohr, D., & Schultz, P. W. (2014). Choosing effective behavior change tools. Social Marketing Quarterly, 20, 35-46
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