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Published on: January 16, 2020
Increasing pro-environmental behavior in the home and work contexts through cognitive dissonance and autonomy.
Dominik Bentler1, Gizem Kadi1, Günter W Maier1
1Department of Psychology, Industrial and Organizational Psychology Laboratory, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.
This study developed a cognitive dissonance intervention to boost pro-environmental behavior. The intervention effectively increased eco-friendly actions at home and work, though autonomy moderated its impact.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Intervention Development
Background:
- Pro-environmental behavior is crucial for sustainability.
- Cognitive dissonance theory offers a framework for behavior change.
- Understanding contextual factors influencing behavior is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and test a novel cognitive dissonance intervention for enhancing pro-environmental behavior.
- To examine the intervention's effectiveness in both home and work contexts.
- To investigate the moderating role of autonomy on intervention outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Development of an action-based cognitive dissonance intervention.
- Intraindividual feedback on personal pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors.
- Comparison of intervention effects in home versus work settings.
Main Results:
- The cognitive dissonance intervention significantly fostered pro-environmental behavior.
- Intervention effects were observed in both home and work contexts.
- Lower autonomy in the work domain moderated the intervention's effectiveness.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive dissonance interventions can effectively promote pro-environmental actions.
- Situational factors, such as autonomy, significantly influence intervention success.
- Tailoring interventions to specific contexts is key for maximizing behavioral impact.
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