It Takes More Than a Factsheet

1. It Takes More Than a Factsheet The Psychology of Sustainable Behavior (based on The Psychology of Sustainable Behavior by Christie Manning, PhD)

2. why use psychology? • Because we want your projects to be as successful as they can be. • Because you don’t want to waste your time! • Because giving information alone doesn’t always lead to better environmental behavior.

3. Why isn’t info enough? • We want to live in a way that treats our ecosystems well (attitudes) • We know the environment needs us to behavior differently (information)

4. Because we have two brains • Associative reasoning system • Unconscious • Sensory-driven • Impulsive • Rule-based reasoning system • Conscious • Rational • Deliberate Create appeal to both our brains!

5. Individual behavior matters • Individual sustainability paves the way for broader societal change • small changes add up • personal changes are gateways to public change • individual change makes sustainable behavior normal behavior

6. So what does lead to more environmentally sustainable behavior? • Make SB the social default • Make SB personally relevant • Make hidden information visible • Foster mindfulness • Create opportunities for competence • Make change a byproduct of other events • Balance urgency with realistic hope

7. 1. Make SB the social default What persuades you more? “Energy conservation can help reduce air pollution and GHG emissions” Or “All your neighbors have had energy audits

8. 1. Make SB the social default • Communicate normative behavior • Direct proof (events) • Descriptive norms: 90% of people; many people; people in Marcy Holmes; • Encourage positive cues: “Thank you for _____” • Create and support networks that spread examples (ex: solar grants) • Show that the sustainability norm is for everyone, not an eco-elite.

9. 2. Make SB Personally Relevant Best not to use “the environment”. Reinforces an artificial division between the health of ecological systems we rely on and us. Beware of labels that evoke strong emotion. • Citizens, concerned residents, care about “the air we breathe” “the water we drink” “the resources we rely on” ”the climate that sustains human life” Treehuggers and environmentalists aren’t us, aren’t normal, are obstructionist.

10. 2. Make SB Personally Relevant Understand your audience’s worldview and frame the issue with them in mind. What do they care about? • People who think humans should dominate won’t care about “preserving ecosystems” but might care about “kids’ health” • People who care about economic issues may not care about “saving polar bears” but might care that “recycling supports thousands of MN jobs”.

11. 3. Reveal Hidden Information The problem: Perceptual barriers. Most environmental risks can’t be seen, heard, tasted, so our experience seems to contradict the reality of these problems. Distant problems aren’t directly experiences (rainforest devastation; mining polluted water) One solution: Recreate the information missed by our senses with concrete vivid images.

14. Photo credit: TehEng Koon/AFP/Getty Images

16. 3. Reveal Hidden Information • Or use real demonstrations: blind taste tests of tap vs. bottled water • Words can also create images:

17. 3. Reveal Hidden Information • Real, quick, easy to understand feedback about something people care about

18. 3. Reveal Hidden Information

19. 5. Create competence • Provide hands-on opportunities to try new behaviors • Make experts available where bins are handed out • Make clear which behaviors matter most; let them know that one action won’t solve all problems.

20. 5. Create competence • Practice bus bike racks are located at: • Commuter ConnectionUS Bank Plaza 220 South 6th Street, Suite 230 Minneapolis, MN 55412612-370-3987 • Cycles For Change 712 University AvenueSt. Paul, MN 55104651-222-2080 • Freewheel Midtown Bike CenterOn the Midtown Greenway - between 10th Avenue and Elliot Avenue2834 10th Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55407612-238-4447 • St. Paul Smart Trips55 East 5th Street, Suite 202 St. Paul, MN 55101651-224-8555 • Venture North Bike Walk and Coffee 1830 Glenwood AvenueMinneapolis, MN 55405612-377-3029 Practice bus bike racks and locations Video on website

21. 7. Balance urgency w/ real hope • Fear messages increase awareness and concern but decrease action • Positive emotions increase creative action taking and sense of “I can do it” • Balance fear message w/ positive vision emphasizing solutions, create positive emotion. Share Spray video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U31BKGEZvBs • Make obvious the happy outcome of acting sustainable: the world we want; the life they want; show how all your POWER grant efforts tie together!

24. What reduction works for you?

25. 7. Balance urgency w/ real hope • Set challenging but specific goals • Set up “small wins” instead of immense problems like “let’s stop climate change!”Example: Cut emissions by 80% by 2050. Vs.Cut emissions by 2% a year until 2050.

26. Other Considerations • All behavior is situational: when a situation changes, behavior often changes – what if you are at a ball park w/ no recycling bin? • Start with clear understanding of the barriers that your specific audience faces for doing the specific behavior you want to encourage.

27. Main Points • Make SB the social default • Make SB personally relevant • Make hidden information visible • Foster mindfulness • Create opportunities for competence • Make change a byproduct of other events • Balance urgency with realistic hope

28. Main Points Again, don’t waste your time and opportunity. Take time to think and apply these tips at the front, and your project will see great effect at the end. The best way to go fast is to go slow. --Chinese proverb

29. Go Make Good Change! Find the report on the MPCA website:The Psychology of Sustainable Behavior Madalyn Cioci madalyn.cioci@state.mn.us 651-757-2276