How do commitments work? An agent based simulation using data from a recycling campaign in Santiago de Cuba

摘要

Diverse psychological findings were integrated in an agent based simulation model, on how situational cues affect behavior performance including the research areas of conviction-based behavior selection, norm-influences, prospective memory, habits, implementation intention and self-commitment. The model postulates, that a behavior selected for execution is the most preferred one between all remembered behavior alternatives. Whether a behavior is remembered or not depends mainly on its accessibility and habit strength. The stronger a person is committed to perform a behavior, the more certain situational cues remind and urge the person to perform it. To investigate the model time-series data was gathered on a daily base during a campaign in Santiago de Cuba promoting recycling behavior. The data confirmed the reminding and cognitive tension effect of prompts due to a commitment. Habits showed a reminding effect, but no effect on the preference. Implications of these results are discussed.