paul white how we might achieve behaviour change lessons from theory and practice
TRANSCRIPT
Paul White
How We Might Achieve Behaviour Change
Lessons from theory and practice
“I will if you will”
Start from a “people” perspective
Make it easier
Be part of something bigger
CatalyseIs the
package enough to
break a habit and kick start
change?
Exemplify
Enable
Engage
(Make it easier)
Encourage(Give the right
Signals)
(Lead by example)
(Get peopleinvolved)
People need help to make responsible choices
Influencing Behaviour Framework
People need to be involved early on for them to take personal responsibility
What can you do to exemplify and reinforce commitment from others?
Consider the benefits and incentivesConsider carefully the role of taxes and enforcement
Pro-environmental context
Weak
Strong
Strong
APATHETIC
EFFECTIVE
IGNORANCE
FRUSTRATED
Readiness & Willingness to Adopt(INTERNAL FACTORS)
Sys
tem
s &
C
apac
ity
(EX
TER
NA
L F
AC
TO
RS
)
Waste prevention is the realm of the minority…..
• Invisible – Unseen and private. Performed mainly in the privacy of our own home.
• Personal – Misunderstood and driven by deeply held beliefs and attitudes rather than social norms.
Typical waste prevention behaviours
Using a centralised composting site
Using home composting bins
Swap it, repaint, furniture and electrical re-use, charity shops
Avoiding over packaged products, bulk buying, buying long life products, buying locally
Buying experience gifts, using refillables,hiring instead of buying
Joining the Mail Preference Service
Reusing jars, bottles, paper etc, repairing goodsVis
ibili
ty
SMART Shopping
Reuse in the home
Reduce unwanted mail
Community reuse
Buying services
Home composting
Community composting
Reduce food waste Planning shopping trips, buying and cook what you need, not tempted by BOGOF, storage
Defra Waste & Resources Evidence Programme
Social Dimension Theme• Understanding perceptions, attitudes and
responsibilities towards waste & resources management.
• Investigating ways to facilitate pro-environmental behaviours.
• Extending understanding recycling behaviour to waste prevention.
Examples of research approaches
• Social learning, action networks – Lifestyle-centred, ‘moments of change’– Working with communities– Shared learning, responsibility and
commitment– Peer to peer support
Action networks to change habits
Objective• To involve up to 800
households to measure and reduce waste
Approach• Uses social learning theory
and a network-based approach to changing behaviour
EnableProviding training, support and guidance through mentors. Designing and agreeing priorities
EngageWorking though volunteers, community groups, businesses, utilities and communities of interest
ExemplifyShared responsibilityPeer to peer support
EncouragePublicity, materials
Learnings for practitioners
• Build evaluation in at the beginning• Understand and apply social theories• Invest in long term partnerships• Segment your target audience• Provide feedback• Ensure adequate resources – admin,
delivery, evaluation• Take small incremental steps
Learnings for policy & strategy
• Strengthen the evidence to determine:– Wider social and economic benefits.– Cost effectiveness.– Long term impacts.
• Design “fit for purpose” evaluations.• Coordinate funding approaches.• Improve support, e.g. measurement toolkits,
good practice guidance.
Potential evidence gaps
• How can we look from the inside out – rather than from the outside in?
• How do you make waste prevention more visible and mainstream?
• Are there potential opportunities for spill-over from other behaviours?
• How do we know if long term change is really happening?
SCP Behaviour Change Research
“EmpowermentGoals”
“BehaviouralGoals”
BEIN
GD
OIN
G
EVI DENCE
“EmpowermentGoals”
“BehaviouralGoals”
BEIN
GD
OIN
G
EVI DENCE
Strategy for success
CONCEPTUALRESEARCH &
PLANNING
CapturingAdded Value
Resource & Skills
FosteringEmpowered
Stakeholders
Scaling Up
Fostering Empowered Participants
Durability
CONCEPTUALRESEARCH &
PLANNING
CapturingAdded Value
Resource & Skills
FosteringEmpowered
Stakeholders
Scaling Up
Fostering Empowered Participants
Durability
Intervention Techniques
Social marketing ‘Whole community’ focus
Corporate social marketing
Integrating social goals
Brand building Developing infrastructure
Participative design Viral marketing techniques
Social ethnography Self-prophesy techniques
Tremor
• P&G Connectors• Word of mouth marketing• Teen and Young mums panels• Made drinking milk cool !
Fresh On Demand
• Multi business partner
• Supply chain food waste
• Consumer food waste
• New technologies
Shared Responsibility
Social science of water efficiency
• Whole town approach• Community-based social marketing
Underpinned by • Partnership engagement plus exemplify• Participative co-design
Water Efficient Durham
• Behaviour challenge – reduce peak summer demand through reduced lawn watering
• Community based social marketing
• Outcome – 30% reduction in first year
• Cost - $19 per household, one fifth of cost of expanding water supply infrastructure
Zaragosa – The Water Saving City
• Behaviour goal – save 1M Litres from homes in one year through retrofits
• Over 150 partners
• City-wide community approach
• Shared responsibility
• Outcome – exceeded target by 18%
• Cost – 70 pesetas/1000 L saved, or 40% of cost of water supply
“Tell me and I’ll forget
Show me and I’ll remember
Involve me and I’ll understand”
Chinese proverb