Climate‐relevant behavioral spillover and the potential contribution of social practice theory

Abstract

Urgent and radical transition to lower-carbon forms of society is imperative to limit current and future climate change impacts. Behavioral spillover theory offers a way to catalyze broad lifestyle change from one behavior to another in ways that generate greater impacts than piecemeal interventions. Despite growing policy and research attention, the evidence for behavioral spillover and the processes driving the phenomenon are unclear. The literature is split between studies that provide evidence for positive spillover effects (where an intervention targeting an environmentally conscious behavior leads to an increase in another functionally related behavior) and negative spillover effects (where an intervention targeting an environmentally conscious behavior leads to a decrease in another functionally related behavior). In summarizing findings, particular attention is given to the implications for climate-relevant behaviors. While few examples of climate-relevant behavioral spillover exist, studies do report positive and negative spillovers to other actions, as well as spillovers from behavior to support for climate change policy. There is also some evidence that easier behaviors can lead to more committed actions. The potential contribution of social practice theory to understanding spillover is discussed, identifying three novel pathways to behavioral spillover: via carriers of practices, materiality, and through relationships between practices within wider systems of practice. In considering future research directions, the relatively neglected role of social norms is discussed as a means to generate the momentum required for substantial lifestyle change and as a way of circumventing obstructive and intransigent climate change beliefs

Relationship‐building between climate scientists and publics as an alternative to information transfer

“…Their analysis found that scientific experts in charge of distributing engagement funding directed 96% of funds to projects deemed primarily reliant on deficit‐based means. This tendency is similarly evident with regards to climate change, in which deficit‐bound communications are by far the dominant means of experts–publics interactions explored within the literature (Editorial, ; Hawkins & Kanngieser, ; Hewitt, Stone, & Tait, ; Kahan & Carpenter, , ; Nash et al, ; van der Linden et al, ; van Renssen, ).…”

How psychology can help limit climate change.

“…However, positive spillover is also possible, for example, if energy reductions in one area lead a person to look for additional opportunities to conserve, especially when behavior becomes tied to an underlying identity (Gillingham, Kotchen, Raposn, & Wagner, 2013;Nash et al, 2017). While LIMITING CLIMATE CHANGE 6 research is ongoing, no strong evidence currently exists for substantial negative spillover (Maki et al, 2019).…”

Understanding Resource Consumption in the Home, Community and Society through Behaviour and Social Practice Theories

“…The SPT ontology is that the world is populated by social practices and their interconnected elements, while socio-psychology theories are focused on individuals and their behaviours [16]. While we acknowledge this to be true, we do not discount the usefulness of both theories in providing insight into resource consumption patterns and practices of individuals, homes, communities and societies [92]. In fact, researchers are beginning to incorporate these theories into new models.…”