Download Promoting Sustainable behavior

Paul Ferraiolo
Jonathan Garcia
Stephan Hyun
Christy Vrooman
McKenzie-Mohr, D. (2000) Promoting Sustainable Behavior:
An introduction to community-based social marketing.
Journal of Social Issues, 56 (3), 543-554.

1971 Ad Council Environmental
Advertisement
Said to be one of the most memorable
and successful ads of the 20th
Century.
 Works for instigating attitude change,
but does not provide any information
to practically change behavior

McKenzie-Mohr, D. (2000) Promoting Sustainable Behavior:
An introduction to community-based social marketing.
Journal of Social Issues, 56 (3), 543-554.




Current ways of promoting environmentally conscious behavior are not
working.
The majority of those responsible for planning and designing these
programs are unaware of or not utilizing psychological literature.
Psychological literature regarding environmental sustainability is largely
unavailable to the public as more importance is placed on being published
in a reputable journal than in catalyzing meaningful change.
Currently consumers themselves are not aware of changes they can make,
or why they should make them.
McKenzie-Mohr, D. (2000) Promoting Sustainable Behavior:
An introduction to community-based social marketing.
Journal of Social Issues, 56 (3), 543-554.

A variety of studies have established that enhancing
knowledge and creating supporting attitudes often has little
to no effect on actual behavior.

Householders interested in enhancing the energy efficiency of
their homes participated in a comprehensive workshop on
residential energy conservation. Despite significant changes in
knowledge and attitudes, behavior did not change (Geller,
1981).

Two surveys of Swiss respondents found that environmental
attitudes and knowledge were poorly associated with
environmental behavior (Finger, 1994).
McKenzie-Mohr, D. (2000) Promoting Sustainable Behavior:
An introduction to community-based social marketing.
Journal of Social Issues, 56 (3), 543-554.


Presently, most programs intended to encourage sustainable
behavior are information-intensive.
Information-intensive programs are usually based on one of
two perspectives:
#1 - Programs assume that enhancing the knowledge of an issue and encouraging
the development of attitudes that are supportive of an activity leads to behavior
change.
 #2 – Planners assume programs that highlight the economic advantages of engaging
in a specific activity will lead the public to act in their economic self-interest.

McKenzie-Mohr, D. (2000) Promoting Sustainable Behavior:
An introduction to community-based social marketing.
Journal of Social Issues, 56 (3), 543-554.

Recent Ad Council Environmental
Advertisement
Today, ads promoting environmental
consciousness are still based on
emotionally effecting attitudes of the
audience.
 One move in the right direction has
come with encouraging viewers to
visit a website where information
about how to change one’s behavior
can be found.

McKenzie-Mohr, D. (2000) Promoting Sustainable Behavior:
An introduction to community-based social marketing.
Journal of Social Issues, 56 (3), 543-554.




Uncovering barriers to behaviors and selecting
which behavior to promote
Design a program to overcome the barriers to the
selected behavior
Pilot the program
Evaluate the program after broad implementation
McKenzie-Mohr, D. (2000) Promoting Sustainable Behavior:
An introduction to community-based social marketing.
Journal of Social Issues, 56 (3), 543-554.

Uncovering Barriers

Considerations

Designing Strategies

Piloting

Evaluation
Adapted from www.gettyimages.com
McKenzie-Mohr, D. (2000) Promoting Sustainable Behavior:
An introduction to community-based social marketing.
Journal of Social Issues, 56 (3), 543-554.

Green NYC Ads - Practical Ways to Behavior Change
McKenzie-Mohr, D. (2000) Promoting Sustainable Behavior:
An introduction to community-based social marketing.
Journal of Social Issues, 56 (3), 543-554.



Nova Scotia banned all organic
materials from landfills.
Local officials decided to
promote backyard composting
as a way to meet the ban.
Community-Based Social
Marketing
Adapted from www.gettyimages.com
McKenzie-Mohr, D. (2000) Promoting Sustainable Behavior:
An introduction to community-based social marketing.
Journal of Social Issues, 56 (3), 543-554.


Adapted from www.gettyimages.com

McKenzie-Mohr, D. (2000) Promoting Sustainable Behavior:
An introduction to community-based social marketing.
Journal of Social Issues, 56 (3), 543-554.
Summer lawn watering
can raise water use 50%
relative to other times of
the year.
To offset the cost of
building a new waterprocessing plant,
Durham Region, Ontario
sought to reduce water
use by 10%.
Community-Based Social
Marketing



To date psychological expertise has yet to be shared in terms of
fostering sustainable behavior, especially in regards to program
planners.
Environmental Psychologists need to consider how to best share
expertise so that those with influence have the same knowledge.
Behavioral change is central to achieve a sustainable future but
psychological knowledge has yet to become central to the
development of initiatives to foster sustainable behavior.
McKenzie-Mohr, D. (2000) Promoting Sustainable Behavior:
An introduction to community-based social marketing.
Journal of Social Issues, 56 (3), 543-554.



Advertising is effective in altering preferences such as choosing one
brand over another.
Community-based social marketing stresses the evaluation of
implemented programs, even the direct measure of behavior or its
consequences rather than relying upon self-report.
Psychologists roles are likely to have an influence in the area of program
design where the program is receptive to easy to apply techniques (i.e.
the use of commitment strategies or vivid communication).
McKenzie-Mohr, D. (2000) Promoting Sustainable Behavior:
An introduction to community-based social marketing.
Journal of Social Issues, 56 (3), 543-554.



Program designers will be most likely to incorporate techniques
that are easy to apply (those that are difficult, while worthwhile,
may be neglected)
Most programs must be delivered within a short period of time,
which makes conducting barrier research a challenge.
Organizations that deliver these programs suffer (like all
programs) from financial constraints that make additional work
such as direct measurement of success difficult.
McKenzie-Mohr, D. (2000) Promoting Sustainable Behavior:
An introduction to community-based social marketing.
Journal of Social Issues, 56 (3), 543-554.



1) According to research cited in this study, “householders who were interested in
enhancing the energy efficiency of their homes participated in a comprehensive workshop
on residential energy conservation. Despite significant changes in knowledge and
attitudes, behavior did not change.” What are some specific reasons why increased
knowledge has little or no impact on behavior?
2) This article emphasizes the underestimation of the difficulty of changing behavior. In
cases where social advertising is successful, what is the main motivation for the change in
behavior on the part of the individual (i.e. guilt, wanting to be a part of the group, genuine
concern)?
3) Are environmentally unfriendly behaviors becoming less socially acceptable? If so,
what are some clear indicators of this?
McKenzie-Mohr, D. (2000) Promoting Sustainable Behavior:
An introduction to community-based social marketing.
Journal of Social Issues, 56 (3), 543-554.