Spillover of pro-environmental behaviour

Abstract

Introduction to the spillover effectThe aim of this chapter is threefold. Firstly, the chapter aims to introduce the term 'spillover' and its different conceptualisation, as well as providing an overview of current research developments. This chapter will overall provide the reader both a broad understanding of the different concepts of the spillover effect alongside its implications for environmentally friendy behaviours in the workplace.Secondly, the chapter aims to give an overview of underlying factors that influence spillover and a discussion of how the spillover effects might influence social marketing campaigns and behavioural change programmes that promote pro-environmental behaviours in organisations. Finally, the chapter aims to assess the methodological approaches used to investigate spillover effects, inclusive of quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods.The psychological concept of spillover could be simply understood as the flow and propulsion of cognitive thoughts, emotions or actions from one area to another. In relation to the latter aspect, Nillson et al. (2016: 1) consider that "the spillover effect proposes that engaging in one behavior affects the probability of engagement or disengaging in a second behaviour". The idea of the spillover effect is not new and has been applied in a number of areas such as knowledge (Acs et al., 2009), emotional conflicts between the workplace and the family (Grunberg et al., 1998; Westman, 2002) and health behaviour (Dolan and Galizzi, 2014). More recently, research in the fields of ethical marketing and environmental psychology has been investigating the spillover phenomenon in the context of sustainable lifestyles; here an increasing interest in understanding secondary behaviour Cognitive dissonance and self-perception theoryAccording to cognitive dissonance theory (Festinger, 1957) people experience discomfort when holding two contrasting cognitions and are motivated to reduce the psychological uneasiness they experience. This can be achieved in a number of ways, including changing attitudes, behaviours, externalising responsibility or reducing the importance of dissonant elements (Gregory-Smith et al., 2013). In the pro-environmental context, this means a person holding pro-environmental views but acting unsustainably will experience a psychological discomfort. This may be reduced by acting in an environmentally-friendly way (Thøgersen, 2004). Therefore, the need for consistency might lead to positive spillover between environmentally-friendly behaviours and between settings. Inconsistent

Reflecting on Behavioral Spillover in Context: How Do Behavioral Motivations and Awareness Catalyze Other Environmentally Responsible Actions in Brazil, China, and Denmark?

“…As previously discussed, interventions that target spillover processes aiming to catalyze wider social engagement may offer greater potential than interventions targeting narrower changes to individual practices. Mixed method approaches should also be employed to measure behavioral outcomes utilizing rigorous quantitative methods longitudinally and capturing the richness and detail of more qualitative techniques (Verfuerth and Gregory-Smith, 2018). We also encourage the application of qualitative approaches (for example, focus group discussions) with more and less environmentally engaged groups to identify obstacles and facilitators of behavior change for different groups across cultural contexts, including spillover processes.…”

Understanding Contextual Spillover: Using Identity Process Theory as a Lens for Analyzing Behavioral Responses to a Workplace Dietary Choice Intervention

“…Moreover, much of the extant evidence of spillover has beeni based upon the findings of correlational studies, where attribution of causality is limited, and laboratory experiments, where real-world implications are limited. Hence, academics increasingly point to the importance of “real-world” settings when examining spillover effects and to examine the causal processes underpinning spillover (Sintov et al, 2017; Verfuerth and Gregory-Smith, 2018).…”

How to Measure Behavioral Spillovers: A Methodological Review and Checklist

“…As such, qualitative methods provide valuable insight in their own right into spillover phenomena, but can also be combined with quantitative approaches in mixed-methods designs to address quantitative limitations (Verfuerth and Gregory-Smith, 2018). Various approaches can be used to ensure the quality of qualitative data, such as member validation (i.e., asking participants to check researcher interpretations), inter-rater reliability of coded data (i.e., using multiple coders and resolving any disagreement in interpretation), and reflexivity (i.e., fully documenting the processes used to collect data and the role and background of the researcher; Breakwell et al, 2012).…”