Promoting Environmentally Responsible Behaviors Using Motivational Interviewing Techniques

摘要

An experimental design was used to determine whether environmentally responsible behaviors (ERBs) could be promoted by exposing participants to two motivational interviewing techniques-provision ofinformation and engagement in a decisional balance exercise. We hypothesized (a) a main effect of the information manipulation such that provision ofbasic as well as normative information about the current state ofglobal warming would be more effective than basic information only at promoting ERBs, which would in turn be more effective than a control information group and (b) a main effect ofthe decisional balance manipulation such that engagement in a decisional balance activity would be more effective than engagement in a control activity at promoting ERBs. We had no basis on which to hypothesize an interaction between the information and decisional balance manipulations. On some of the dependent measures, the predicted main effect for information manipulation was found as well as an unexpected interaction effect. Exploratory analyses were conducted to examine any gender effects as well as the validity ofthe dependent measures used. Effects on environmental attitudes and behaviors were interpreted in light ofexisting theory and real-world applications.