Conformity, obedience to authority, and compliance without pressure to control cigarette butt pollution

摘要

This study compares the effectiveness of three sources of influence [conformity, obedience to authority, and the "but you are free to..." (BYAFT) technique] to induce smokers to put their cigarettes butts in an ashtray rather than dropping them on the ground. Conformity was operationalized with a sign placed above ashtrays. This sign mentioned that most people throw their cigarette butts in the ashtrays. The BYAFT technique was operationalized with a sign mentioning that people were free to throw their cigarette butts in the ashtray. Finally, obedience was operationalized by the setting of the experiment: the Prefecture symbolizing authority and the shopping mall, a "non-authority" setting. Results indicated the main effect of conformity and obedience but not the BYAFT. However, the BYAFT effect depended on the presence or absence of authority and conformity. Interactions between the three influence sources are discussed.