Abstract
Positive spillover occurs when changes in one behavior influence changes in subsequent behaviors. Evidence for such spillover and an understanding of when and how it may occur are still limited. This paper presents findings of a 1-year longitudinal behavior change project led by a commercial retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland to examine behavior change and potential spillover of pro-environmental behavior, and how this may be associated with changes in environmental identity and perceptions of ease and affordability as well as perceptions of how participation in the project has helped support behavior change. We draw on both quantitative and qualitative data. Study 1 examines quantitative data from the experimental and a matched control group. Study 2 reports qualitative findings from a follow up interview study with participants of the experimental group. As expected, we found significant changes in reported pro-environmental behavior and identity in the experimental group as well as some indications of behavioral spillover. These changes were not significantly associated with changes in environmental identity. The interviews suggested that group dynamics played an important role in facilitating a sense of efficacy and promoting sustained behavior change and spillover. Moreover, the support by a trusted entity was deemed to be of crucial importance.
Highlights
Tackling anthropogenic climate change and other major challenges of human impact on our ecological life support systems cannot be achieved without behavioral change by individuals and communities (Capstick et al, 2015)
The first theme described below discusses evidence for behavior change and spillover and combines data from the qualitative and quantitative parts of the study
The following themes focus on perceptions of the ways in which project participation has supported behavior change: behavior change and spillover, support, belonging, identity, and structural barriers to making changes
Summary
Tackling anthropogenic climate change and other major challenges of human impact on our ecological life support systems cannot be achieved without behavioral change by individuals and communities (Capstick et al, 2015). With mounting environmental pressures and climate change impacts already happening across the world (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC], 2014), further approaches to sustainable consumption are needed to establish more sustainable lifestyles in which people act sustainable across a wide range of possible behavioral areas (Thøgersen, 1999). Changing entire lifestyles is more difficult than targeting single behaviors or behavioral. Modern lifestyles consist of a highly complex mesh of moral, practical and cultural commitments to certain practices of consumption, and often involve very limited capabilities for self-directed change (see e.g., Nussbaum, 2011). Whereas people often hold a positive attitude toward proenvironmental behaviors (PEBs) such as recycling, a lack of recycling infrastructure and a supportive cultural context can present difficult barriers to realizing such behavior in everyday life
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