Psychological Underpinnings of(Un)Sustainable Behaviors

Susan LedlowDecision Center for a Desert City

School of SustainabilityArizona State University

Advanced Water Education WorkshopJune 28-29, 2011

Outcomes

By the end of the session, I hope you can---– Explain why a research perspective is important

when creating behavioral change initiatives, campaigns, or strategies

– Discuss the importance of “working with the groove” of human psychology

Which disciplines study behavioral change? Social Psychology

– The scientific study of how people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by other people

Environmental Psychology– The scientific study of how people influence the

environment and how the environment influences people

Behavioral Economics– “the hybrid offspring of psychology and economics” – a branch of economics that studies how social,

cognitive, and emotional factors influence economic decisions.

A Psychological Perspective on Environmental Decisions

Understanding how people make decisions is critical to changing their behaviors– Psychological literature on decision-making

– Psychological literature on fundamental motives

– Psychological literature on influence and persuasion

Why an Experimental Approach?

Experimental methods and tools help us test the effects of relevant variables on climate and water decisions.–Intuitive interventions do not always

work

Team

Susan Ledlow– School of Sustainability, Arizona State University

Edward Sadalla– Department of Psychology, Arizona State University

Students Rebecca Neel

with Claire Yee, REU Anna Berlin Samantha Neufeld Yexin Jessica Li

Overview of Our Study Areas

1. Priorities in residential water consumption2. Landscape choice and perceived social

identity3. Fundamental motives and environmental

decision-making4. Social norms and environmental behaviors5. Temporal discounting of negative

environmental consequences

Changing a Behavior

Pick a behavior– Using a refillable water bottle– Idling while waiting to pick up your child at school– Hanging laundry rather than using the dryer– Using public transportation– “Meatless Mondays”

What are some ways you can get people to start adopting the new behavior?

Education

Attitude Change

Behavioral Change

Assumptions About Behavioral Change 1Reinforcement

Behaviors, emotions, and thoughts don’t necessarily correspond.– “Educating” people

often does not change either their attitudes or behaviors.

– Even when attitudes change, behaviors don’t necessarily follow. Delayed reinforcement!

Climate Change

Scary!!!!!! Because?????

Think About the Behavior You Wanted to Change

What are some ways you could provide immediate reinforcement to get people to start adopting the new behavior?– Could be positive or negative reinforcement

Assumptions About Behavioral Change 2Fundamental Motives

There is a human nature consisting of evolved abilities, behavioral tendencies, preferences, and fears. – Opposite of “The blank slate” (cf. e.g. Pinker, 2002).

– “Fundamental motives.” (c.f., Kenrick and Colleagues) Care for family Self-protection Seeking friends and allies Seeking status Seeking mates

New DCDC Research:Landscape Choice and Social Identity

Anthropological, sociological, and psychological studies indicate that in most cultures there is a relationship between consumption and status. “What do her

diamonds sayabout you?”

But, research tells us that…

Higher status individuals consume more resources than lower status individuals For household energy Through consumption

of goods produced with energy

We want-- More things, e.g.,

– New car every 3 years

Bigger things, e.g., – Hummers,

McMansions Average new house

size has increased from 1600 to 2400 square feet in the last 30 years

The social meaning or symbolic significance behaviors will determine their probability of occurrence, e.g., – If behaviors like desert

landscaping, public transport, or recycling connote low status, they will be avoided.

Past Research

Individuals who display conservation behaviors are perceived as– Lower in status– Lower in sexual attractiveness– Less competitive– Generally unfavorable

Research Questions:Symbolism and Landscape Choice

Studies 1 and 2– How does landscape choice affect identity

symbolism? Study 3

– Can we change the symbolic significance of landscape choice?

Study 1 (Completed)

A man, woman, or couple were described as choosing desert landscaping or mesic landscaping for their newly purchased home

Participants were asked to rate the targets on a variety of dimensions

Study 1

A woman moved into a neighborhood in the greater Phoenix area. In this neighborhood, the houses were all quite similar, but differed in their front yard landscaping. Half of the homes had typical desert landscaping with cacti and other desert plants, and half had typical grass landscaping with trees and shrubs. After thinking over her options, she realized she had a strong preference for [desert, grass] landscaping, so she bought a house with [desert, grass] landscaping in front.

Overall Result

Landscape choice made a significant difference in how targets were rated

Targets who chose desert landscaping were perceived far more negatively than those who chose mesic landscaping

Results: Ratings by landscape

Positive/negative evaluation

good-bad pleasant-unpleasant likeable – not likeable good neighbors – bad neighbors warm – cold

Status/achievement orientation

wealthy - poor educated - not educated high status - low status intelligent – unintelligent

Family orientation

have children – don’t have children likes children - doesn’t like children family oriented – not family oriented

Creativity

artistic - non artistic conventional – unconventional creative – uncreative adventurous – not adventurous complex – simple open to new experience – closed prefers new things – familiar things

Prosocial/benevolence

generous - stingy helpful - unhelpful kind - unkind volunteers - does not volunteer donates to charity – does not donate

Sexual attraction

sexy – not sexy romantic – not romantic attractive – not attractive

Conservation behaviors

tend to save water – waste water environmentalist – nonenvironmentalist tend to save energy –waste energy recycles – does not recycle

The decision makers’ future…

How much will the value of their home increase over the next five years?– House with lawn more likely to increase, p<.001

How happy is this person/couple? – Target with lawn higher, p<.001

What image were P’s picturing?

Study 2

SES was specified: A woman decided to purchase a home in an upscale neighborhood with large houses in the greater Phoenix area. In this neighborhood, the houses were all quite similar, but differed in their front yard landscaping. Half of the homes had typical desert landscaping with cacti and other desert plants, and half had typical grass landscaping with trees and shrubs. After thinking over her options, she realized she had a strong preference for desert landscaping, so she bought a house with desert landscaping in front.Results the same

New DCDC ResearchFundamental Motives Study 1

Preserve the planet for your children’s future

Save money on cooling and heating

Be a leader in your community

“Energy saving is the new aphrodisiac”

Find the home that’s right for you (Control)

Results Commit to Change

– Effectiveness of the message depended on the sex of the person presented in the ad

– Kin care message with female in ad was persuasive– $ message with male in the ad was persuasive

Spend More on Energy Efficiency– Effectiveness of the message depended on the sex

of the person presented in the ad– But only for people high on “family orientation”

scale

New DCDC ResearchPriorities in Residential Water Consumption

Previous research on actual residential water use.

Little known about residents’ priorities for water use

American Waterworks Research Association

The Trade-off Experiments

Subjects get a fixed budget ($24 or $36) to “buy” differently kinds of water use, e.g.,– Low flow vs. high flow

showerheads– Desert plants or grass

lawns

Questions Explored in This Research

What are the perceived priorities associated with residential water usage?

Are there sex differences? Does “environmental orientation” influence

choices? Do long time residents prioritize water

allocations differently than newcomers?

Results

High Priority– Unlimited toilet flushing– Long Showers– High flow faucets and

showerheads Low Priorities

– Baths – Swimming pools – Outdoor uses in general– Protection of native plants

and animals

Proportions of Budget Spent

Gender Differences

Study 1– Males allocated slightly more on outdoor water

use than females Study 2

– Nada!

Environmental Orientation

Participants high on the NEP scale spent less on water overall

They also allocated slightly more to native plant and animal protection– But overall this was still a low priority

Length of Residence: “Oasis mentality”

Think About the Behavior You Wanted to Change

What are some ways you could use fundamental motives to get people to start adopting the new behavior?– Specifically, how you you make the behavior

associated with high status or family values?

Assumptions About Behavioral Change 3Decision Triggers

Many behaviors that are predictable are not economically “rational”– We often don’t know why we do what we do– We can’t always tell when we’re being influenced

Many things that influence us do so below the threshold of consciousness

Cialdini’s Influence: Science and Practice Dan Arielly’s Predictably Irrational

– http://www.predictablyirrational.com/?page_id=178 Thaler and Sunstein’s Nudge

– The default strategy

Decision Trigger An automatic response. A single, reliable piece

of information that guides our behavioral decisions.– Examples:

“Here’s your check.” Cutting in line to make

photocopies. Littering

Social Norm Example:Petrified Forest Experiment

The old sign– “Many past visitors have removed petrified wood

from the Park, changing the natural state of the Petrified Forest.” pictures of three visitors taking wood.

Social Norm Example:Petrified Forest Experiment

Some Visitors Saw the Old Sign– “Many past visitors have removed petrified wood

from the Park, changing the natural state of the Petrified Forest.” pictures of three visitors taking wood.

Other Visitors Saw the New Sign– “Please don’t remove the petrified wood from the

Park, in order to preserve the natural state of the Petrified Forest.” picture of a lone visitor stealing a piece of wood, with a

red circle-and-bar symbol superimposed over his hand.

Results

People Steal/It’s Bad Most Don’t Steal

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New DCDC Research

How many people have to believe climate change is a serious problem before most people believe it?– Study 1 (complete): Do you think you believe what

most people believe? Yes you do, unless you’re a political independent

– Study 2 (in design phase): Can we change your beliefs by changing what you think others think?

Ethical implications of these strategies?

Let’s say that you know that if you place foods in a certain place in a high school’s cafeteria line, students will be more likely to buy them.– Is it ethical to rearrange the food in a cafeteria to

encourage healthier choices?

Ethical implications of these strategies?

Let’s say that you know that if you place foods in a certain place in a high school’s cafeteria line, students will be more likely to buy them.– Is it ethical to rearrange the food in a cafeteria to

encourage healthier choices?

– Is it ethical to rearrange the food in a cafeteria to increase profits?

Ethics

Cialdini– True/Honest– Naturally occurring in the situation– Win-Win

Thaler and Sunstein’s Libertarian Paternalism– It is ethical to steer people’s behavior in order to

make their lives longer, happier, and better.– But, people should not be “burdened” if they

want to make another choice

Is this ethical? Making organ donation the default option on your drivers

license (people have to opt out rather than opt in). Requiring freshmen to live on campus in a residential

community. Charging people for “green energy” on their energy bill unless

they opt out. Requiring car dealers to show gallons per 100 miles rather than

mgp. Requiring that all programmable thermostats be set to a default

“energy efficient” option. Deducting a portion of employees’ paychecks to go to a pension

program unless they opt out Deducting a portion of employees’ paychecks as a donation for

the United Way unless they opt out.

Think About the Behavior You Wanted to Change

What are some ways you could use decision triggers to get people to start adopting the new behavior?– Specifically, how you you make the behavior a

social norm or a default?

Community Based Social Marketing

One of the most widely used approaches to changing sustainability related behaviors– Original website, cases, listserv

http://www.cbsm.com

– Online course http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/socialmarketing/

training/index.htm

Final Thoughts

“Educating” people often does not change their attitudes or behaviors.

We might be more successful by just targeting the behavior without worrying about what people believe

Harnessing the power of human nature is always a good bet

Questions?