Year

2025

Season

Spring

Paper Type

Master's Thesis

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree Name

Master of Science in Psychological Science (MSPS)

Department

Psychological and Brain Sciences

NACO controlled Corporate Body

University of North Florida. Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences

Committee Chairperson

Dr. Heather Barnes Truelove

Second Advisor

Dr. Francis Richard

Abstract

As concerns for climate change continue, pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) need to be adopted to help combat the rapid changes occurring. The purpose of this field study was to test whether manipulating the reason for performance of an initial behavior (PEB1) can induce positive versus negative spillover to a secondary PEB (PEB2) and to investigate how long the effects of spillover last. The present study had three experimental conditions: baseline condition (no poster), a guilt-inducing poster encouraging selection of a vegan meal (PEB1), and a neutral emotion poster encouraging PEB1. After participating in PEB1 (or not), participants were asked if they would be willing to use a shower timer (PEB2) to reduce their water consumption over the duration of a week. Results suggest that the relationship between PEB1 and PEB2 was moderated by the poster condition, with some evidence of positive spillover in the neutral emotion condition. Additional research is needed to determine under what conditions positive or negative spillover will occur and how long the effects last.

Download

Included in

Psychology Commons

Share

COinS