Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Information, Incentives, and Proenvironmental Consumer Behavior

  • Published:
Journal of Consumer Policy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The article discusses the factors influencing proenvironmental consumer behaviors and the policy implications of knowledge about these influences. It presents a conceptual framework that emphasizes the determining roles of both personal and contextual factors and especially of their interactions. The practical usefulness of the framework is illustrated by evidence of the interactive effects of information and material incentives – typical interventions in the personal and contextual domains, respectively. The author concludes that incentives and information have different functions, so that efforts focused on only one are sometimes misplaced; however, properly deployed, they can have synergistic effects on behavior. Some policy conclusions are drawn for consumer and environmental policy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Ajzen, I. (1985). From intentions to actions: A theory of planned behavior. In: J. Kuhl & J. Beckmann (Eds.), Action control: From cognition to behavior, pp. 11-39. New York: Springer-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becker, L. J. (1978). The joint effect of feedback and goal-setting on performance: A field study of residential energy conservation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 63, 428-433.

    Google Scholar 

  • Black, J. S. (1978). Attitudinal, normative, and economic factors in early response to an energy-use field experiment. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Dissertation Abstracts International, 39, 436B.

    Google Scholar 

  • Black, J. S., Stern, P. C., & Elworth, J. T. (1985). Personal and contextual influences on household energy adaptations. Journal of Applied Psychology, 70, 3-21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cialdini, R., Kallgren, C., & Reno, R. (1991). A focus theory of normative conduct: A theoretical refinement and re-evaluation. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 24, 201-234.

    Google Scholar 

  • Craig, C. S., & McCann, J. M. (1978). Assessing communication effects on energy consumption. Journal of Consumer Research, 5, 82-88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Derksen, L., & Gartrell, J. (1993). The social context of recycling. American Sociological Review, 58, 434-442.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dietz, T., & Stern, P. C. (1995). Toward a theory of choice: Socially embedded preference construction. Journal of Socio-Economics, 24, 261-279.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ester, P., & Winett, R. A. (1982). Toward more effective antecedent strategies for environmental programs. Journal of Environmental Systems, 11, 201-221.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fishbein, M. (1979). A theory of reasoned action: Some applications and implications. In: M. M. Page (Ed.), Nebraska Symposium on Motivation 1979, pp. 65-116. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frey, B., & Oberholzer-Gee, F. (1996). The cost of price incentives: An empirical analysis of motivation crowding-out. American Economic Review, 87, 746-755.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, G. T., & Stern, P. C. (1996). Environmental problems and human behavior. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guagnano, G. A., Dietz, T., & Stern, P. C. (1994). Willingness to pay for public goods: A test of the contribution model. Psychological Science, 5, 411-415.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guagnano, G. A., Stern, P. C., & Dietz, T. (1995). Influences on attitude-behavior relationships: A natural experiment with curbside recycling. Environment and Behavior, 27, 699-718.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heberlein, T. A., & Baumgartner, R. M. (1985). Changing attitudes and electricity consumption in a time-of-use experiment. Paper presented at M.E.C.2 La Maîtrise de l'Energie et les Consommateurs (Consumer Behaviour and Energy Policy, Second International Conference), Versailles, April.

  • Heberlein, T. A., & Warriner, G. K. (1983). The influence of price and attitude on shifting residential electricity consumption from on-to off-peak periods. Journal of Economic Psychology, 4, 107-130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirst, E., Berry, L., & Soderstrom, J. (1981). Review of utility home energy audit programs. Energy, 6, 621-630.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karp, D. G. (1996). Values and their effects on pro-environmental behavior. Environment and Behavior, 28, 111-133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kempton, W., Harris, C. K., Keith, J. G., & Weihl, J. S. (1984). Do consumers know what works in energy conservation? In: J. Harris & C. Blumstein (Eds.), What works: Documenting energy conservation in buildings, pp. 429-438. Washington, DC: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

    Google Scholar 

  • McDougall, G. H. G., Claxton, J. D., & Ritchie, J. R. B. (1983). Residential home audits: An empirical analysis of the ENER$AVE program. Journal of Environmental Systems, 12, 265-278.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, R. D., & Ford, J. M. (1985). Shared savings in the residential market: A public/private partnership for energy conservation. Baltimore, MD: Energy Task Force, Urban Consortium for Technology Initiatives.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pardini, A. U., & Katzev, R. D. (1984). The effect of strength of commitment on newspaper recycling. Journal of Environmental Systems, 13, 245-254.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, S. H. (1977). Normative influences on altruism. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 10, 221-279.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, S. H. (1992). Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 25, 1-65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, S. H. (1994). Are there universal aspects in the structure and contents of human values? Journal of Social Issues, 50(4), 19-46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seligman, C., Becker, L. J., &. Darley, J. M. (1981). Encouraging residential energy conservation through feedback. In: A. Baum & J. Singer (Eds.), Advances in environmental psychology, Vol. 3, Energy psychological perspectives, pp. 93-113. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern, P. C. (1986). Blind spots in policy analysis: What economics doesn't say about energy use. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 5, 200-227.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern, P. C. (1992a). Psychological dimensions of global environmental change. Annual Review of Psychology, 43, 269-302.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern, P. C. (1992b). What psychology knows about energy conservation. American Psychologist, 47, 1224-1232.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern, P. C., Aronson, E., Darley, J. M., Hill, D. H., Hirst, E., Kempton, W., & Wilbanks, T. J. (1986). The effectiveness of incentives for residential energy conservation. Evaluation Review, 10, 147-176.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern, P. C., Dietz., T., Abel, T., Guagnano, G. A., & Kalof, L. (in press). A valuebelief-norm theory of support for social movements: The case of environmentalism. Human Ecology Review.

  • Stern, P. C., Dietz, T., & Kalof, L. (1993). Value orientations, gender, and environmental concern. Environment and Behavior, 25, 322-348.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern, P. C., Dietz, T., Kalof, L., & Guagnano, G. A. (1995). Values, beliefs, and proenvironmental action: Attitude formation toward emergent attitude objects. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 25, 1611-1636.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern, P. C., & Gardner, G. T. (1981). Psychological research and energy policy. American Psychologist, 36, 329-342.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern, P. C., & Oskamp, S. (1987). Managing scarce environmental resources. In: D. Stokols & I. Altman (Eds.), Handbook of environmental psychology, Vol. 2, 1043-1088. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Liere, K. D., & Dunlap, R. E. (1978). Moral norms and environmental behavior: An application of Schwartz's norm-activation model to yard burning. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 8, 175-188.

    Google Scholar 

  • Widegren, Ö. (1998). The new environmental paradigm and personal norms. Environment and Behavior, 30, 75-100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winett, R. A., Hatcher, J. A., Fort, T. R., Leckliter, I. N., Love, S. Q., Riley, A. W., & Fishback, J. F. (1982). The effects of videotape modeling and daily feedback on residential electricity conservation, home temperature and humidity, perceived comfort, and clothing worn: Winter and summer. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 15, 155-181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winett, R. A., Leckliter, I. N., Chinn, D., Stahl, B., & Love, S. (1985). Effects of television modeling on residential energy conservation. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 18, 33-44.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20418, U.S.A.

    Paul C. Stern

Authors
  1. Paul C. Stern
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Stern, P.C. Information, Incentives, and Proenvironmental Consumer Behavior. Journal of Consumer Policy 22, 461–478 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006211709570

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006211709570

Keywords

Search

Navigation