Intervention

Question 1

What is the difference between upstream and down stream interventions?

Answer 1

Downstream interventions: target individuals providing information inputs to educate, persuade and motivate (media Campaigns, product advertising, one-to-one counselling)

Upstream interventions: economic incentives, structural changes, legislation aimed at creating new social structures and environmental cues that will disrupt old ones (Congestion charges to change driving behaviour)

Question 2

When are downstream interventions effective?

Answer 2

when. ..
1. Weak habits or non-habitual/new behaviour (e.g. life stage transitions; consumption of innovations/new products, medical treatment

2. Combined with upstream interventions e.g.recycling promotion + new recycling centres, neighbourhood collections

Question 3

How can behaviour change even habitual ones? (use theory of planned behaviour)

Answer 3

When environmental cues for habitual behaviour are disrupted

1. Naturally: when circumstances change e.g. when a person starts work, leaves home, starts to spend/save income.
2. Through interventions: ban of smoking, free fitness facilities in communities.

Question 4

Why are downstream intervention in-effective to change habits? (6 things)

Answer 4

because:
- habitual behaviour often provides instant gratification
- habits create expectations and reduce the need for effortful decision making
- expectations reduce info search,
- increase receptivity to confirmatory info
- result biased perceptions
- reduce complexity of evaluations