Transcript Effective Communication & Behavioral Change

Effective Communication &
Behavior Change
Seminar for Environmental Leaders
Sponsored by The Solar Valley Coalition
October 28, 2008
Amanda Carrico
[email protected]
Doctoral Candidate
Department of Psychology
Vanderbilt University
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Public Perceptions: Climate Change &
Environment

National Public Opinion Polls:
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Middle Tennessee4:
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1Fox
82% - Climate change is real (60% caused by human
activities)1.
65% - concerned “a great deal” or “a fair amount”
about climate change2.
53% - Climate change is one of the most serious longterm issues facing our country3.
67% are “very concerned” about the environment.
43% believe air pollution is harmful to their health.
News Survey, 2007; 2Pew Research Center, 2008; 3Presidential Debate on Science
Survey, 2008; 4Clean Air Partnership & Vanderbilt University, 2003 - 2007
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Pro-Environmental Behavior
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Behaviors changed because of air pollution
(Middle Tennessee):
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Carpooled - 1%
Used mass transit - <1%
Limited driving - 1%
Reduced energy use - 1%
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Behavioral Malleability
Infrequent Behaviors
Easy to Change
(few structural
barriers)
Reduce
water heater temp
CFL substitution
Tire pressure maintenance
Auto air filter change
Install Programmable
Thermostat
Improve home insulation
Difficult to Change Purchase ‘Energy Star’
(substantial barriers: appliances
income, access,
Buy more efficient vehicle
time, competing
Purchase renewable energy
demands)
source
Urban lifestyle
Frequent Behaviors
Turn
off unused
lights/appliances
Reduce vehicle idling
Reduce standby power
Adjust thermostat 2o
Trip chain
Alter driving habits
Walk/Bike to nearby
locations
Purchase
local food
Carpool
Use
Mass Transit
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Overcoming Barriers to Behavior Change
Provide usable information
 Make behavior change easier
 Promote efficacy
 Use Social Norms
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Lack of “Usable” Information
Misperceptions often lead us to the “wrong” actions.
 We overestimate the energy used by things we see
(lights) and underestimate the things we don’t (hot water
heater, furnace).
 >80% of Americans hold inaccurate beliefs about idling1:
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It is better to idle for ___ in order to:
 “Save gas” = 4.7 minutes
 “Prevent pollution” = 3.6 minutes
 “Prevent vehicle wear” = 5.7 minutes
Table 3. Estimated CO2 emissions and fuel use associated with unnecessary idling in the United States.
CO2 Emissions
Fuel Consumption
1Carrico,
Annual US
emissions
(MMt)
48%
(91.2 million)
45.51
7.53
1.95
0.71
46%
(87.4 million)
49.91
8.26
2.14
0.78
95.42
15.79
4.09
1.49
% of
population
Warming
2.70
Waiting
3.09
Total
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Daily US
Emissions
(million lbs)
Minutes/
day
Daily US
Annual US
consumption
consumption
(million gallons) (billion gallons)
Information is most effective for easy-to-change behaviors
Vandenbergh, Gilligan & Wallston (in preparation)
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Presenting Information
Information is most effective when it is:
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From a credible source
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Vivid
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‘State Regulatory Agency’ vs. ‘Local Utility’
Seek out endorsements
“30 inches of cracks” vs. “a hole the size of a basketball”
Meaningful
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Making the abstract concrete
 2000 kwh = “enough energy to power the average
home for 6 weeks”.
 “If everyone lived like you we would need 2.1 planets
to support global consumption”
 Example - ‘Black Balloons Commercial’

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZLDPEQzlck
Provide specific calls to action
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Make Behavior Change Easier
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We are less likely to perform behaviors that require:
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Examples
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More steps
More time and effort
More mental energy (e.g., memory, attention)
The single biggest determining factor in whether a person recycles if
the availability of curbside recycling.
Organ Donation (opt-in vs. opt-out)
Consider default settings:
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Hot water heaters
Energy saving settings
(computers, monitors)
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Johnson & Goldstein, 2003
Make Behavior Change Easier
Solut ions
External Barrier
A c c es s to mas s trans it
The Big Ones
The Smaller Ones
I nc reas e routes and frequenc y O rganize c arpool networks
within organizations
C os t of effic ienc y upgrades
T ax inc entives /loans /rebates
D iffic ulty remembering to turn I ns tall motion-s ens or lighting
off lights (partic ularly in
organizational s ettings )
A llow c os t of upgrades to be
paid for from s avings in
elec tric ity bills
P os t reminders on light
s witc hes
T ime/effort required to
weatherize/ins ulate home
P rovide free/s ubs idized s ervic e E nergy auditor arranges for the
s ervic es at the time of audit.
Remembering to maintain
proper tire inflation
S ervic e offered at time of fillup
Reminders pos ted at gas
s tations
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Promoting Efficacy
We are less motivated to engage in
behaviors that we feel are ineffective.
 Particularly important for frequent & easy to
change behaviors.
 Promoting Efficacy:
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Message framing
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Stress the connection between behaviors and outcomes.
Feedback
Feedback meters associated with
5 to 60% reduction in energy use.
 Continuous feedback is
most effective (feedback meters)
 Periodic feedback is better
than no feedback (public
announcements)
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80%
70%
55%
60%
50%
40%
31%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Weekly Feedback
Continuous Feedback
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Petersen et al. (2007)
Vanderbilt’s ThinkOne Campaign
In September of 2008, the Undergraduate Admissions Building used about 65,600
kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity. This is moving in the right direction, as it is 12%
better than average for your building! However, it is still 2,600 kWh from reaching your
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goal…
Using Social Influence
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Social Norms:
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Pressure to comply (social approval)
Pressure to conform (popularity, fitting in)
We often change our behavior to accommodate
social norms.
X
A B C
 75% of participants gave an
obviously wrong answer
(Asch, 1951).
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Using Social Norms
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Message Framing:
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Sequoia National Park
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(Winter et al., 2000):
“Many past visitors have gone off the established paths,
changing the natural state of the Sequoias and vegetation
in this park”
“Please don't go off the established paths and trails in
order to protect the Sequoias and natural vegetation in this
park”
Percent of visitors who strayed off the path
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
31%
19%
5%
No S i gn
"Man y past vi si tors h ave
"Ple as e don 't go off the
gon e off th e e stabl is h e de stabli sh e d path s ..."
path s É"
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Using Social Norms
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Identify Early Adopters:
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Water Conservation Study
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(Aronson & O’Leary, 1982)
“Conserve water: 1. Wet down. 2. Water off. 3.
Soap. 4. Rinse.”
Work with opinion leaders
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Led to 12% unprotected sex in HIV/AIDS prevention
efforts (Kelly et al., 1991; 1992; 1997)
Percentage who turned off water while showering
100%
80%
67%
60%
49%
40%
20%
0%
6%
Sign Only
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One S tudent
Two Students
How to build an effective program
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Set goals
Identify barriers
Plan and Implement
Evaluate
Revise and refine
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Set Goals
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Long-term goals
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Mission statement
Short-term goals
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Create specific near-term objectives
Quantify objectives
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15% decrease in campus electricity use (ThinkOne)
10% increase in carpooling
Identify behaviors that will achieve those
objectives
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Conservation behavior (lighting, heating and cooling,
appliance use)
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Identify Barriers
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Understand what may prevent an
individual from engaging in the target
behavior.
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Literature Search
Focus Groups
Surveys (Needs Assessment)
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How often do you engage in this behavior?
What helps you to engage in this behavior?
What prevents you from engaging in this behavior?
Observation
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Create a Plan
Determine which behavior change
techniques are at available.
 Make concrete steps for how to achieve
goals.
 Create a logic/process model to outline
steps required to implement plan and for
the plan to be effective
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Create a Plan (Process Model)
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Evaluate
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No intervention is complete without an evaluation
Measure:
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Behavior
Exposure to intervention
Reactions to intervention (negative and positive)
Unexpected consequences
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Printed materials not being recycled
Turning off lights leads to safety concerns
Tools for evaluation:
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Surveys
Observation
Focus groups
Comment pages/Community Forums (website)
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Revise & Refine
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Allow enough flexibility to revise and
refine your program!!
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Additional Resources
Fostering Sustainable Behavior: An Introduction to Community-Based Social
Marketing. Doug McKenzie-Mohr and William Smith. New Society Publishers.
A Review of Intervention Studies Aimed at Household Energy Conservation. Wojke
Abrahamse et al. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2005 Volume 25: 273 291.
Psychological Dimensions of Global Environmental Change. Paul C. Stern. Annual
Review of Psychology, 1992, Volume 43: 269 - 302.
What Psychology Knows about Energy Conservation. Paul C. Stern. American
Psychologist, 1992, Volume 47 No. 10: 1224 - 1232.
Crafting Normative Messages to Protect the Environment. Robert B. Cialdini.
Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2003, Volume 12: 105-109.
Evaluating Community Programs and Initiatives. The Community Tool Box.
http://ctb.ku.edu/tools//index.htm#partJ
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