Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 15, 2026
07:14
Virtual Agent for Real-Time Motivational Interviewing by Integrating Adaptive Nonverbal Behavior and Language Models
Published on: December 23, 2025
867
Talking with consumers about energy reductions: recommendations from a motivational interviewing perspective
Florian E Klonek1, Simone Kauffeld1
1Department of Industrial/Organizational and Social Psychology, Technische Universität Braunschweig Braunschweig, Germany.
Frontiers in Psychology
|March 31, 2015
Summary
Organizations can reduce energy costs by addressing resistance to change. Motivational Interviewing (MI) offers a way to overcome "sustain talk" and encourage energy-saving behaviors through improved interactions.
Area of Science:
- Organizational behavior
- Behavioral economics
- Psycholinguistics
Background:
- Reducing energy costs is a key organizational challenge.
- Consumer resistance to behavior change often hinders energy-saving initiatives.
- Understanding the verbal arguments against change, termed 'sustain talk,' is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the application of Motivational Interviewing (MI) in organizational energy-saving contexts.
- To investigate how MI training for energy managers can improve interactions.
- To analyze socio-interactional mechanisms influencing energy-related decisions and behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Review of energy-saving studies focusing on behavioral resistance.
- Conceptual transfer of Motivational Interviewing (MI) principles to energy management.
- Development of case scenarios (video vignettes) illustrating energy-relevant interactions.
- Graphical representation of consumer verbal responses using a readiness versus resistance index (R-index).
Main Results:
- Sustain talk is identified as a significant barrier to energy-saving behavior.
- Motivational Interviewing (MI) shows potential for facilitating behavior change in this context.
- The R-index effectively illustrates interactional dynamics between readiness and resistance.
- Energy manager qualification in MI may positively impact interactional outcomes.
Conclusions:
- An innovative socio-interaction approach, integrating MI, can facilitate energy-efficient behavior in organizations.
- Addressing resistance through targeted communication strategies is vital for energy cost reduction.
- Combining theoretical and empirical perspectives offers a novel approach to promoting sustainable organizational practices.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Motivational Bias
486
Cognitive bias results from limitations in thinking and information processing, leading to systematic errors in judgment. Conversely, motivational bias stems from personal desires or emotions, causing distortions in perception to align with self-interest. Motivational bias influences how individuals perceive and attribute causes to events, often shaped by personal needs, goals, and self-esteem preservation. This bias can distort judgment, leading to inaccurate assessments of success, failure,...
486
01:27Drive-Reduction Theory: Push Theory of Motivation
1.7K
Clark Hull's drive-reduction theory, introduced in the 1940s and 1950s and often termed the "push theory" of motivation, provides a framework for understanding how biological and learned drives influence behavior. Hull suggested that motivation originates from the need to alleviate physiological tension caused by unmet biological necessities. The theory proposes that when a basic need, such as hunger or sleep, goes unfulfilled, it creates an internal imbalance. This imbalance, or...
1.7K
02:45Self-Discrepancy Theory
19.1K
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
19.1K
01:20Motivational Cycle
1.5K
The motivational cycle is a key concept that explains how individuals are motivated to meet their needs. At its core, the cycle revolves around four distinct stages: need, drive, goal-directed behavior, and goal achievement. These stages respond to imbalances in the body or mind, prompting actions that restore balance.
The cycle begins with a need. This need can arise from various conditions, such as hunger, thirst, or temperature changes. For instance, when an individual feels cold, their body...
The cycle begins with a need. This need can arise from various conditions, such as hunger, thirst, or temperature changes. For instance, when an individual feels cold, their body...
1.5K
01:30Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques VI
336
Adopting a healthier lifestyle often requires overcoming significant challenges, but leveraging psychological, social, and cultural resources can facilitate meaningful change. Effective self-change hinges on understanding and applying key tools such as motivation and goal setting, which help sustain efforts toward long-term health benefits.
Motivation and Self-Determination
Motivation, the driving force behind behavior, plays a pivotal role at every stage of the change process. The research...
Motivation and Self-Determination
Motivation, the driving force behind behavior, plays a pivotal role at every stage of the change process. The research...
336
01:52Persuasion Strategies
44.0K
Researchers have tested many persuasion strategies, including the foot-in-the door and the door-in-the-face techniques, in a variety of contexts. Ultimately, the principles are effective in selling products and changing people’s attitude, ideas, and behaviors (Cialdini & Goldstein, 2004).
44.0K