Values Determine the (In)Effectiveness of Informational Interventions in Promoting Pro-Environmental Behavior

Abstract

Informational interventions (e.g., awareness campaigns, carbon footprint calculators) are built on the assumption that informing the public about the environmental consequences of their actions should result in increased pro-environmental intentions and behavior. However, empirical support for this reasoning is mixed. In this paper, we argue that informational interventions may succeed in improving people’s knowledge about the negative environmental consequences of one’s actions, but this knowledge will not gain motivational force if people do not consider protecting the environment an important personal value. In an experiment, we measured individual differences in value priorities, and either presented participants a movie clip that portrayed the negative environmental consequences of using bottled water, or a control movie. As predicted, we found that the environmental movie improved recipients’ knowledge of the negative environmental impact of bottled water, but this knowledge only resulted in concomitant changes in intentions and acceptability of related policies among participants who strongly endorsed biospheric (i.e. environmental) values, while having no effect on those who care less about the environment. Interestingly, the results suggest that although informational interventions are perhaps not always successful in directly affecting less environmentally-conscious recipients, they could still have beneficial effects, because they make those who strongly care about the environment more inclined to act on their values.

Local is not always better: the impact of climate information on values, behavior and policy support

“…However, more research needs to be conducted with a much broader group of participants to verify that that local information may be problematic for those with strong self-enhancing values and also explore and test mechanisms to reduce this reactance. Overall, our study thus contributes to an ongoing discussion on how values and information interact (see Bolderdijk et al 2013), particularly by highlighting that, depending on people's value orientations, information may be beneficial for some groups but potentially detrimental for others.…”

“…Furthermore, research suggests that existing value orientations may interact with environmental information. For example, Bolderdijk et al (2013) found that an informational campaign (i.e., having participants view a movie about the environmental consequence of bottled water) was motivational for those who held strong biospheric values but not for those lacking these values. Given the strong relation between self-transcendent values and environmental action, we explored the extent to which values might interact with the level of information (local versus global) to influence individuals' environmental decisions.…”

Understanding the Human Factor of the Energy Transition: Mechanisms Underlying Energy-Relevant Decisions and Behaviors

“…Information is more likely to encourage sustainable behavior when it resonates with people's central values. For example, whereas an environmental campaign increased knowledge among all exposed to the campaign, it only affected sustainable behavioural intentions and policy preferences for those who strongly endorsed biospheric values (Bolderdijk et al, 2013a). More generally, information strategies have been more successful when they are tailored to the needs, wants and perceived barriers of the target population (Abrahamse et al, , 2007.…”

“…Bolderdijk et al, 2013a). Focusing merely on how people evaluate various consequences of these policies and energy system changes may be misleading, given that (some of) these evaluations can be colored by people's valuesbased judgements and not reflect the actual concern people have, as we explained above.…”

Politics of climate change belief

“…However, interventions based on the assumption that informing the public about environmental consequences will inspire pro-environmental behaviour are not effective, particularly if people do not already value environmental protection 8 . More troublingly, belief in climate change has only a small to moderate effect on whether people choose to act in environmentally friendly ways 3 .…”