Water Conservation: Moving From Awareness to Action Wesley Schultz, Ph.D. California State University Breakfast presentation for Leadership North County. Wesley Schultz, Department of Psychology, California State University, San Marcos, CA, 92078. [email_address] . (760) 750-8045. January 27, 2009

About the Presenter Ph.D. in applied social psychology Academic position (professor) Consulting and training through Action Research, Inc. Numerous consulting, training, and marketing projects Private : Southern California Edison (energy), Hewlett Foundation, SD Water Authority, Brookfield Zoo, EDCO Waste Management, KAB State: California Integrated Waste Management Board (used oil recycling, waste tires), TN, FL, TX Local and County : Napa, Madera, Los Angeles, San Diego Cities of Vista, San Marcos, Escondido, Casper Federal: National Academy of Sciences, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Justice, U.S. Air Force International : United Nations, London Zoological Society, WWF

Ph.D. in applied social psychology

Academic position (professor)

Consulting and training through Action Research, Inc.

Numerous consulting, training, and marketing projects

Private : Southern California Edison (energy), Hewlett Foundation, SD Water Authority, Brookfield Zoo, EDCO Waste Management, KAB

State: California Integrated Waste Management Board (used oil recycling, waste tires), TN, FL, TX

Local and County : Napa, Madera, Los Angeles, San Diego

Cities of Vista, San Marcos, Escondido, Casper

Federal: National Academy of Sciences, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Justice, U.S. Air Force

International : United Nations, London Zoological Society, WWF

Conservation Means Behavior Reduce consumption Purchasing Decisions (landscaping) New Technologies (low flow)

Reduce consumption

Purchasing Decisions (landscaping)

New Technologies (low flow)

A Little Psychology Scientific study of behavior People act for reasons Successful behavior change strategies require an understanding of the individual and situational factors that motivate and/or constrain behavior Many examples of failed (or not tested) and even boomerang effects

Scientific study of behavior

People act for reasons

Successful behavior change strategies require an understanding of the individual and situational factors that motivate and/or constrain behavior

Many examples of failed (or not tested) and even boomerang effects

Tools for Promoting Water Conservation 1. Education Involves disseminating information Assumes that lack of behavior results from lack of knowledge (this is generally not true) Consistently across behavioral domains, research has shown small-to-null effects

1. Education

Involves disseminating information

Assumes that lack of behavior results from lack of knowledge

(this is generally not true)

Consistently across behavioral domains, research has shown small-to-null effects

So You Want to Change Behavior?

Tools for Promoting Water Conservation 2. Price Cost directly affects behavior Problems with price triggers: Specificity (no spillover)—think incentives for low-flow toilets Framing (conservation now framed as “transaction”) Can potentially undermine long-term changes (Cialdini’s fence)

2. Price

Cost directly affects behavior

Problems with price triggers:

Specificity (no spillover)—think incentives for low-flow toilets

Framing (conservation now framed as “transaction”)

Can potentially undermine long-term changes (Cialdini’s fence)

Tools for Promoting Water Conservation 3. Awareness Crisis can induce change Individuals rally around a cause (for a short period of time) Crisis messages can boomerang if used for too long And what happens when the crisis passes?

3. Awareness

Crisis can induce change

Individuals rally around a cause (for a short period of time)

Crisis messages can boomerang if used for too long

And what happens when the crisis passes?

Tools for Promoting Water Conservation

Social Norms A promising alternative Conservation often means deviating from the norm (this message will boomerang) Need to promote community support: Your neighbors are conserving People will disapprove if you don’t conserve How much you consume relative to others

A promising alternative

Conservation often means deviating from the norm (this message will boomerang)

Need to promote community support:

Your neighbors are conserving

People will disapprove if you don’t conserve

How much you consume relative to others

Tools for Promoting Water Conservation VIDEO CLIP

Can we reduce consumption? Yes, but new tools will be required Price-triggers can work (but come with side effects) Information generally won’t work Awareness and crisis will work for a short period Fostering social norms provides a promising alternative

Yes, but new tools will be required

Price-triggers can work (but come with side effects)

Information generally won’t work

Awareness and crisis will work for a short period

Fostering social norms provides a promising alternative

References Ennett, S., Tobler, N., Ringwalt, C., & Flewelling, R. (1994). How effective is Drug Abuse Resistance Education? A meta-analysis of project DARE outcomes evaluations. American Journal of Public Health, 84, 1394-1401. Farquhar, J. W., Williams, P. T., Maccoby, N., & Wood, P. D. (1990). Effects of communitywide education on cardiovascular disease risk factors. Journal of the American Medical Association, 264, 359-365. Fortmann, S. P., Winkleby, M. A., Flora, J. A., Haskell, W. L., & Taylor, C. B. (1990). Effects of long-term community health education on blood pressure and hypertension control. American Journal of Epidemiology, 132, 629-646. Harmon, M. A. (1993). Reducing the risk of drug involvement among early adolescents: An evaluation of Drug Abuse Resistance Education. Evaluation Review, 17, 221-239. Hornik, J., Cherian, J., Madansky, M., & Narayana, C. (1995). Determinants of recycling behavior: A synthesis of research results. Journal of Socio-Economics, 24, 105-127. Nolan, J., Schultz, P. W., Cialdini, R. B., Griskevicius, V., & Goldstein, N. (2008). Normative social influence is underdetected. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin . Oskamp, S., Burkhardt, R., Schultz, P., Hurin, S., & Zelezny, L. (1998). Predicting three dimensions of residential curbside recycling: An observational study. Journal of Environmental Education, 29, 37-42. Petty, R. E., & Wegener, D. T. (1998). Attitude change: Multiple roles for persuasion variables. In D. T. Gilbert, S. T. Fiske, & G. Lindzey (Eds.), The handbook of social psychology (4 th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 323-390). Boston: McGraw-Hill. Schultz, P. W., Khazian, A., & Zaleski, A. (2008). Using normative social influence to promote conservation among hotel guests. Social Influence, 3, 4-23. Schultz, P. W. (2002). Knowledge, education, and household recycling: Examining the knowledge-deficit model of behavior change. In T. Dietz & P. Stern (Eds.), New tools for environmental protection (pp. 67-82). Washington DC: National Academy of Sciences. Schultz, P. W., Nolan, J., Cialdini, R., Goldstein, N., & Griskevicius, V. (2007). The constructive, destructive, and reconstructive power of social norms. Psychological Science, 18, 429-434 . Schultz, P. W., & Tabanico, J. (2008). If you build it, will they come? Designing outreach programs that change behavior. In A. Cabaniss (Ed.), Handbook on household hazardous waste . Lanham, MD: Government Institutes Press. Vining, J., & Ebreo, A. (1990). What makes a recycler? A comparison of recyclers and nonrecyclers. Environment and Behavior, 22, 55-73. Wolitski, R. J., and the CDC AIDS Community Demonstration Project Research Group. (1999). Community-level HIV intervention in five cities: Final outcome data from the CDC AIDS Community Demonstration Projects. American Journal of Public Health. Werner, C., & Makela, E. (1999). Motivations and behaviors that support recycling. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 18, 373-386.

Ennett, S., Tobler, N., Ringwalt, C., & Flewelling, R. (1994). How effective is Drug Abuse Resistance Education? A meta-analysis of project DARE outcomes evaluations. American Journal of Public Health, 84, 1394-1401.

Farquhar, J. W., Williams, P. T., Maccoby, N., & Wood, P. D. (1990). Effects of communitywide education on cardiovascular disease risk factors. Journal of the American Medical Association, 264, 359-365.

Fortmann, S. P., Winkleby, M. A., Flora, J. A., Haskell, W. L., & Taylor, C. B. (1990). Effects of long-term community health education on blood pressure and hypertension control. American Journal of Epidemiology, 132, 629-646.

Harmon, M. A. (1993). Reducing the risk of drug involvement among early adolescents: An evaluation of Drug Abuse Resistance Education. Evaluation Review, 17, 221-239.

Hornik, J., Cherian, J., Madansky, M., & Narayana, C. (1995). Determinants of recycling behavior: A synthesis of research results. Journal of Socio-Economics, 24, 105-127.

Nolan, J., Schultz, P. W., Cialdini, R. B., Griskevicius, V., & Goldstein, N. (2008). Normative social influence is underdetected. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin .

Oskamp, S., Burkhardt, R., Schultz, P., Hurin, S., & Zelezny, L. (1998). Predicting three dimensions of residential curbside recycling: An observational study. Journal of Environmental Education, 29, 37-42.

Petty, R. E., & Wegener, D. T. (1998). Attitude change: Multiple roles for persuasion variables. In D. T. Gilbert, S. T. Fiske, & G. Lindzey (Eds.), The handbook of social psychology (4 th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 323-390). Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Schultz, P. W., Khazian, A., & Zaleski, A. (2008). Using normative social influence to promote conservation among hotel guests. Social Influence, 3, 4-23.

Schultz, P. W. (2002). Knowledge, education, and household recycling: Examining the knowledge-deficit model of behavior change. In T. Dietz & P. Stern (Eds.), New tools for environmental protection (pp. 67-82). Washington DC: National Academy of Sciences.

Schultz, P. W., Nolan, J., Cialdini, R., Goldstein, N., & Griskevicius, V. (2007). The constructive, destructive, and reconstructive power of social norms. Psychological Science, 18, 429-434 .

Schultz, P. W., & Tabanico, J. (2008). If you build it, will they come? Designing outreach programs that change behavior. In A. Cabaniss (Ed.), Handbook on household hazardous waste . Lanham, MD: Government Institutes Press.

Vining, J., & Ebreo, A. (1990). What makes a recycler? A comparison of recyclers and nonrecyclers. Environment and Behavior, 22, 55-73.

Wolitski, R. J., and the CDC AIDS Community Demonstration Project Research Group. (1999). Community-level HIV intervention in five cities: Final outcome data from the CDC AIDS Community Demonstration Projects. American Journal of Public Health.

Werner, C., & Makela, E. (1999). Motivations and behaviors that support recycling. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 18, 373-386.