Recycling And Other Conservation Behaviours

Question 1

Key research

Answer 1

Lord

Question 2

Additional studies

Answer 2

Yale model of persuasion
Positive reinforcement in Oregon
Luyden and Bailey
Cialdini

Question 3

Aim of Lord

Answer 3

Investigate the effectiveness of different message approaches (positive or negative framing) and different message sources (advert, letter, article) in improving attitudes and behaviour recycling

Question 4

Sample of Lord

Answer 4

140 households from metropolitan area with 20 per condition
In the North-East of USA

Question 5

Matching conditions in Lord’s study

Answer 5

Quota sampling to match each household per condition to avoid race and gender bias

Question 6

Message source conditions for Lord

Answer 6

A personal letter signed by student addressed to acquaintance
Local news publication article
Advert of fake company

Question 7

Message framing conditions for Lord

Answer 7

Positive = benefits of recycling
Negative = consequences of not recycling

Question 8

7 Conditions of Lord

Answer 8

Control condition no message received
Positive/ negative letter
Positive/ negative news article
Positive/ negative advert

Question 9

First observation of Lord

Answer 9

Students completed covert observation on every household’s recycling bin on bin collection day
Measured number of items recycled and what they recycled

Question 10

What happened after Lord’s first observation?

Answer 10

Dependent on the condition, the household received a message (or no message) delivered to their front door

Question 11

Second observation of Lord

Answer 11

Repeat the observation after message was delivered to house front door
Count number of recycled items

Question 12

How did we assess behavioural impact on Lord?

Answer 12

Compare number of items put to be recycled in Second observation vs first observation

Question 13

How did we assess attitude change in Lord?

Answer 13

Send out a survey after the second observation to find attitudes to recycling

Question 14

Survey for Lord consisted of…

Answer 14

Semantic differential (7 point rating scale) questions to assess attitude
And questions asked about gender, age etc of each participant

Question 15

Results of Lord: who reported significantly more positive attitudes to recycling?

Answer 15

Those who received a positive framed message compared to a negative framed message

Question 16

Lord results: which message source caused the highest increase in recycling behaviour?

Answer 16

Those who received a personal letter

Question 17

Yale model of persuasion

Answer 17

There are 4 major factors that determine if communication will be persuasive:
The source
The message
The recipient of the message
The situation

Question 18

Yale model of persuasion: what must the source be?

Answer 18

The message source (eg presenter, advert, article, letter) must be attractive, credible and trustworthy

Question 19

Yale model of persuasion: what must the message be?

Answer 19

Contain a counter argument to persuade a well educated audience
Contain one sided argument to persuade a less educated audience

Question 20

Yale model of persuasion: how does the recipient of the message affect the persuasiveness?

Answer 20

If they are resistant to change then small attitude changes must occur to persuade
If they are more neutral then a big attitude change can occur

Question 21

Yale model of persuasion: what situation means persuasion is more likely?

Answer 21

Casual situations than formal situations
More likely to sign petitions

Question 22

Yale model of persuasion: the 3 stages of effective communication (that leads to an audience being persuaded)

Answer 22

Pay Attention to the message first
Understand the message
Accept and believe the message

Question 23

Luyben and Bailey study was on…

Answer 23

How proximity to facilities for conservation (recycling) increases conservation behaviours (recycling)

Question 24

What did Luyben and Bailey do?

Answer 24

Increase number of recycling facilities nearby 4 mobile home parks

Question 25

Effect of Luyben and Bailey?

Answer 25

52% increase in recycling newspapers if more recycling facilities are nearby

Question 26

Positive reinforcement in Oregon

Answer 26

To encourage behaviour after it took place (consequent strategy) by using positive reinforcement (giving something pleasant)
In Oregon, you get 5 cents for every bottle recycled
Dramatically increased recycling behaviour

Question 27

Cialdini’s experiment

Answer 27

Investigating the effect of leaving 5 diff messages in hotel guest rooms to encourage reusing towels to see which type of message is most effective

Question 28

Cialdini’s sample

Answer 28

260 guest hotel rooms
Divided into 5 groups: each received a different message

Question 29

In Cialdini’s experiment what are examples of the messages left?

Answer 29

‘Join fellow citizens in helping to save the environment’ (social norm message)
‘Help the hotel save money’

Question 30

Results of Cialdini’s experiment

Answer 30

Most successful message was social norm one where 41% reused their towels
People are more likely to copy behaviour if it is presented as a social norm eg that’s what everyone’s behaviour is