Effective Communication Behavior Change

							Effective Communication &
     Behavior Change

  Seminar for Environmental Leaders
Sponsored by The Solar Valley Coalition
          October 28, 2008



            Amanda Carrico
     amanda.r.carrico@vanderbilt.edu
           Doctoral Candidate
       Department of Psychology
          Vanderbilt University
                                          1
 Public Perceptions: Climate Change &
 Environment
      National Public Opinion Polls:
          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 long-
           term issues facing our country3.


      Middle Tennessee4:
          67% are “very concerned” about the environment.
          43% believe air pollution is harmful to their health.

1FoxNews Survey, 2007; 2Pew Research Center, 2008; 3Presidential Debate on Science   2
Survey, 2008; 4Clean Air Partnership & Vanderbilt University, 2003 - 2007
Pro-Environmental Behavior
   Behaviors changed because of air pollution
    (Middle Tennessee):
          Carpooled - 1%
          Used mass transit - <1%
          Limited driving - 1%
          Reduced energy use - 1%




                                             3
Behavioral Malleability
                           Infrequent Behaviors         Frequent Behaviors
  Easy to Change         Reduce   water heater temp   Turn  off unused
   (few structural       CFL substitution             lights/appliances
      barriers)          Tire pressure maintenance    Reduce vehicle idling

                         Auto air filter change       Reduce standby power

                         Install Programmable         Adjust thermostat 2o
                         Thermostat                    Trip chain
                         Improve home insulation      Alter driving habits
                                                       Walk/Bike to nearby
                                                       locations
Difficult to Change      Purchase   „Energy Star‟     Purchase   local food
(substantial barriers:   appliances                    Carpool
   income, access,       Buy more efficient vehicle   Use   Mass Transit
  time, competing        Purchase renewable energy
      demands)
                         source
                         Urban lifestyle
                                                                                4
Overcoming Barriers to Behavior Change


      Provide usable information
      Make behavior change easier
      Promote efficacy
      Use Social Norms




                                     5
 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 idling 1:
                  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
                                                              Daily US        Annual US           Daily US         Annual US
                                 Minutes/   % of              Emissions       emissions         consumption       consumption
                                   day    population         (million lbs)     (MMt)           (million gallons) (billion gallons)
                                                48%
                     Warming        2.70                        45.51            7.53                1.95                 0.71
                                            (91.2 million)

                                                46%
                     Waiting        3.09                        49.91            8.26                2.14                 0.78
                                            (87.4 million)
                     Total                                      95.42            15.79               4.09                 1.49


            Information is most effective for easy-to-change behaviors
                                                                                                                                     6

1Carrico,   Vandenbergh, Gilligan & Wallston (in preparation)
Presenting Information
Information is most effective when it is:
      From a credible source
           „State Regulatory Agency‟ vs. „Local Utility‟
           Seek out endorsements
      Vivid
           “30 inches of cracks” vs. “a hole the size of a basketball”
      Meaningful
           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‟
                     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZLDPEQzlck

      Provide specific calls to action
                                                                          7
Make Behavior Change Easier
   We are less likely to perform behaviors that require:
        More steps
        More time and effort
        More mental energy (e.g., memory, attention)
   Examples
        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:
        Hot water heaters
        Energy saving settings
     (computers, monitors)




                                                                                   8

                                                       Johnson & Goldstein, 2003
Make Behavior Change Easier
                                                               Solutions
      External Barrier                   The Big Ones                      The Smaller Ones
Access to mass transit           Increase routes and frequency       Organize carpool networks
                                                                     within organizations
Cost of efficiency upgrades      Tax incentives/loans/rebates        Allow cost of upgrades to be
                                                                     paid for from savings in
                                                                     electricity bills
Difficulty remembering to turn   Install motion-sensor lighting      Post reminders on light
off lights (particularly in                                          switches
organizational settings)

Time/effort required to          Provide free/subsidized service     Energy auditor arranges for the
weatherize/insulate home                                             services at the time of audit.


Remembering to maintain          Service offered at time of fill-    Reminders posted at gas
proper tire inflation            up                                  stations




                                                                                                    9
 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:
       Message framing
            Stress the connection between behaviors and outcomes.
       Feedback
          Feedback meters associated with   80%

         5 to 60% reduction in energy use.   70%
                                                                              55%
                                             60%
          Continuous feedback is            50%
         most effective (feedback meters)    40%          31%

          Periodic feedback is better
                                             30%
                                             20%
         than no feedback (public            10%

         announcements)                      0%
                                                   Weekly Feedback                    10
                                                                     Continuous Feedback

                                                         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 11
goal…
Using Social Influence
   Social Norms:
       Pressure to comply (social approval)
       Pressure to conform (popularity, fitting in)

   We often change our behavior to accommodate
    social norms.
      75% of participants gave an     X  A B C
    obviously wrong answer     (Asch, 1951).




                                                       12
Using Social Norms
   Message Framing:
       Sequoia National Park               (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%       31%
                                    30%
                                                                19%
                                    20%
                                    10%                                                   5%
                                     0%
                                            No Sign   "Many past visitors have  "Please don't go off the
                                                                                                           13
                                                      gone off the es tablis hed es tablis hed paths..."
                                                             pathsÉ"
Using Social Norms
   Identify Early Adopters:
       Water Conservation Study                   (Aronson & O‟Leary, 1982)
            “Conserve water: 1. Wet down. 2. Water off. 3.
             Soap. 4. Rinse.”
       Work with opinion leaders
            Led to 12% unprotected sex in HIV/AIDS prevention
             efforts (Kelly et al., 1991; 1992; 1997)
                                  Percentage who turned off water whi le showeri ng

                           100%

                            80%
                                                                                67%
                            60%
                                                           49%
                            40%

                            20%
                                      6%
                                                                                           14
                             0%
                                  Sign Only           One Student           Two Students
How to build an effective program
1.   Set goals
2.   Identify barriers
3.   Plan and Implement
4.   Evaluate
5.   Revise and refine




                                    15
Set Goals
   Long-term goals
       Mission statement
   Short-term goals
       Create specific near-term objectives
       Quantify objectives
            15% decrease in campus electricity use (ThinkOne)
            10% increase in carpooling
       Identify behaviors that will achieve those
        objectives
            Conservation behavior (lighting, heating and cooling,
             appliance use)

                                                                 16
Identify Barriers
   Understand what may prevent an
    individual from engaging in the target
    behavior.
       Literature Search
       Focus Groups
       Surveys (Needs Assessment)
            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

                                                                 17
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



                                             18
Create a Plan (Process Model)




                                19
Evaluate
   No intervention is complete without an evaluation
   Measure:
       Behavior
       Exposure to intervention
       Reactions to intervention (negative and positive)
       Unexpected consequences
            Printed materials not being recycled
            Turning off lights leads to safety concerns
   Tools for evaluation:
       Surveys
       Observation
       Focus groups
       Comment pages/Community Forums (website)
                                                            20
Revise & Refine
   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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