Distinguishing between green building occupants’ reasoned and unplanned behaviours

Abstract

Several frameworks incorporate social and psychological elements of environmentally significant behaviour, and most assume cognitive and deliberate decision-making. Household energy consumption behaviours, however, span a spectrum from reasoned and deliberate to unplanned and automatic. The aim of this paper is to advance knowledge of reasoned and unplanned behaviours in the context of pro-environmental action. Using results of a survey administered to occupants of an urban residential green building, this study explores five household consumption behaviours and tests the hypothesis that unplanned behaviours will be poorly predicted by a reasoned, values-based behavioural framework. Using path analyses, variables in a values-based framework are used to predict surveyed behaviours. Findings indicate that behaviours hypothesized to be unplanned were not well predicted by the valuesbased framework. The framework successfully predicted what was hypothesized to be a fully reasoned behaviour. Three potential reasons are discussed for the lack of prediction of some behaviours. A deeper understanding of how unplanned, automatic or habitual behaviours intervene in conservation intentions can help policy-makers and building designers better respond to influences of occupant behaviour on building performance.

Presence and variability of culturable bioaerosols in three multi‐family apartment buildings with different ventilation systems in the Northeastern US

“…Our study invited all residents from the three buildings to participate via brochures and communications from the building management, and the recruitment is described in more detail in earlier publications. [52][53][54][55][56][57] B1 is an Energy Star certified residential building with an urban rooftop garden and a total of 128 apartments in two wings with six and seven floors. B1 has hot water baseboard heating supplied by a centralized boiler and natural air ventilation, predominantly using open windows.…”

Perceived Value of Green Residence: The Role of Perceived Newness and Perceived Relative Advantage

“…The survey questionnaire consisted of six parts: (1) perceived newness, (2) relative advantage, (3) perceived price, (4) perceived value, (5) purchase intention, and (6) demographic information. Perceived newness was measured using six items adapted from previous studies (Shams et al, 2015;, perceived relative advantage was measured using four items adapted from Stachewicz (2011), perceived price was measured using six items adapted from , perceived value was measured using three items adapted from previous studies (Hewitt et al, 2016;Monroe, 1990;, and purchase intention was measured using four items adapted from Lee (2017). The scale items were measured using a 5-point Likert scale, on which the respondents indicated the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with the statements.…”

The importance of understanding occupant behaviour in buildings: exploring the nexus of design, management, behaviour, and energy use in green, high-rise residential buildings

“…People are unpredictable; they can choose the path of least resistance, or act in ways that appear to outsiders as irrational. Hewitt et al (2015) write that "household energy consumption behaviours… span a spectrum from reasoned and deliberate to unplanned and automatic" (in press). Occupants adapt to conditions in unpredictable ways and often 'misbehave' vis a vis the intentions of the designers who prescribed their living conditions.…”