Informational Nudges to Encourage Pro-environmental Behavior: Examining Differences in Message Framing and Human Interaction

Katherine M Nelson,Stefan Partelow,Mirja Kristina Bauer

doi:10.3389/fcomm.2020.610186

Katherine M Nelson, Stefan Partelow + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2020.610186

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Abstract

Two natural field experiments were implemented to examine the influence of framing effects on environmental behavior. The first study examined plastic bag use at a convenience store using low cost nudges: an informational message on a sign and interpersonal communication at check-out. We employed a 3 × 2 treatment design (positive message vs. negative message vs. no sign; each paired with both asking for bag vs. not asking for bag) and report the observed plastic bag use behavior. A second study was conducted using a pre-snorkel briefing with two message frames–positive, negative, and no briefing (control). Environmentally damaging snorkel behavior was anonymously observed and recorded. Both experiments show the same general result: a significant and positive difference between subjects that were exposed to an intervention compared to those in the control conditions. However, we do not find significant differences in observed environmental behavior between the negative and positive framing.

Highlights

Ecosystems and natural resources are humankind’s basis of life, but are generally facing pollution, degradation and overexploitation (Dwyer et al, 1993; Osbaldiston and Schott, 2012)
Due to the disparate and largely inconclusive literature on the topic in the environmental realm, this study aims to add clarity with findings from two experiments on different environmental problems 1) plastic pollution and 2) coral reef degradation on Gili Trawangan, Indonesia
The proportion of people refusing plastic bags was higher in the treatments with the positive framing, suggesting a trend, the two-sided proportion test revealed no significant differences between the positive and negative framing

Summary

Introduction

Ecosystems and natural resources are humankind’s basis of life, but are generally facing pollution, degradation and overexploitation (Dwyer et al, 1993; Osbaldiston and Schott, 2012). Beach trash is more noticeable underground sewage leakages or invisible contaminants from plastics and sunscreen on reefs, and beach clean ups and macro-pollution mitigation measures are often put forth as solutions (Brouwer et al, 2017). These features shape tourist, business owner and environmental governance actor perceptions about how to prioritize environmental problems and what can be done to govern human behavior to solve them (Scott et al, 2012)

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