We now turn to successful programs that managed to reduce the gap between attitudes and behavior, through integrating multiple strategies such as convenience and incentives.

 

Success Story #1

Source: kidsunder7.com

In the fall of 1979, an ad-hoc group called FACE (Fitchburg Action to Conserve Energy) was created in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. It gave out free home weatherization kits to households earning 80% below the median income, and conducted workshops to teach them how to install the kits. Moreover, volunteers went around to help households who experienced difficulties installing the kits themselves. It was a success, as within six weeks, one-sixth of the houses in the city were weatherized via the program.

A factor that accounted for the success included convenience, as households did not have to shop around on their own accord, deciding which weatherization kits to buy. Moreover, volunteers were available to help install the kits when necessary.

Another factor included visible rewards of cost-free kits, as households did not have to fork out their own money to buy, and if they installed the kits, they could save on utility bills. This provided a big incentive for households to install the kits.

 

Success Story #2

Source: volusia.org

In 1986, the Neighborhood Energy Consortium of the city of St Paul, Minnesota, started a recycling program. The program was marketed through neighborhood councils and block clubs, and recruit several block leaders to advertise the program through displaying signs on their lawns and to inform and persuade their neighbours about it. Recycling coordinators were hired to recruit volunteers and expand the scope of the program. The consortium also set up a hotline to answer queries, as well as printed and disseminated brochures in different languages for different enthnic groups. Marketing of the program attracted 15-20% of households in the city to partake in recycling.

Apart from marketing, incentives were also offered to participants; in this case, allowing households to pay for every can of trash produced instead of hiring trash haulers to pick up trash.  This way, households can save money by combining trash with other households and paying the hauler just once. The savings were quite easy to obtain, and significant especially for households that produced relatively little trash, such as the elderly and singles. This aspect of the program attracted 60-70% of households in the city to recycle.

The recycling program was expanded by persuading households to recycle even more trash, and to collect used household goods and clothing for resale to Goodwill Industries.

What accounted for the high success achieved in this program? Convenience of earning the incentive, which meant combining the trash of several households to save costs, played a significant role. Information about the program was catered to different audiences via different languages, to improve understanding and receptivity towards the program. Information also got out far and wide through credible sources, such as social networks, friends, family, and not forgetting the consortium, which is a citywide group based in the neighborhoods, with active interest and engagement in energy and environmental policy across different societal levels.

Conclusion

Source: sparknotes.com

The previous sections provided a sense of awareness of the potential problems in actualizing environmental attitudes, such as lack of knowledge, as well as operant conditioning. The Theory of Planned Behavior was also discussed, whereby precedents of behavior was behavioral intention that was subjected to factors of attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control.

Although these difficulties may seem insurmountable, solutions such as information, incentives, and competition for status, can help to make the actualization of environmental attitudes, a reality.

Have faith and take charge.