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NEW DIRECTIONS IN CONSERVATION PSYCHOLOGY WEBINAR SERIES

Facilitating Pro-Environmental Behavior: An Overview of the Research

Tuesday, February 6, 2018 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EST The integrity of conservation psychology as a field of research and practice is grounded in rigorous research. This webinar will feature an overview of relevant research, introduction to one empirically tested approach to facilitating behavior change, illustrated by the example of a recent study on fossil fuel divestment

Presenter: Abigail Abrash Walton, PhD Antioch University New England

N E W D I R E C T I O N S I N C O N S E R V A T I O N P S Y C H O L O G Y W E B I N A R S E R I E S

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Facilitating Pro-Environmental Behavior: An Overview of the Research

Tuesday, February 6, 2018 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EST

• Overview & Introductions
• Joy Whiteley Ackerman, PhD
• Presentation
• Abigail Abrash Walton, PhD
• Discussion & Audience Questions

Moderator:

• Dr. Joy Whiteley Ackerman,

Antioch University New England

NEW DIRECTIONS IN CONSERVATION PSYCHOLOGY WEBINAR SERIES

NEW DIRECTIONS IN CONSERVATION PSYCHOLOGY WEBINAR SERIES Presenter:

• Dr. Abigail

Abrash Walton

• Dr. Abigail Abrash Walton serves as co-director of both Antioch's

Conservation Psychology Institute and Center for Climate Preparedness and Community Resilience and as faculty in the Department of Environmental Studies, where she directs the Advocacy for Social Justice and Sustainability master's degree concentration. Under her leadership, Antioch has developed and advanced a range of sustainability and social justice initiatives. Her public engagement, research, and teaching focus on change leadership, facilitating pro- environmental behavior, and translating values into effective action, particularly regarding environmental and social performance. She enjoys the spirit and practice of innovation and has played a central role in launching Antioch's Conservation Psychology Institute and Translating Research to Inform Policy workshops and in catalyzing a national-level working group to build the capacity of scientists and researchers to engage with the public policy process.

NEW DIRECTIONS IN CONSERVATION PSYCHOLOGY WEBINAR SERIES Moderator:

• Dr. Joy Ackerman
• Dr. Joy Ackerman is a Core Faculty member in the Environmental

Studies Department at Antioch University New England, where she serves as Director of Conservation Psychology. Joy teaches graduate courses including Conservation Psychology, Ecological Thought, and Making Sense of Place. Joy advises students in the Conservation Psychology Certificate Program, the Self-Designed M.S. in Environmental Studies, and doctoral students with interests in spirituality, place and nature

• experience. She received her Ph.D. in environmental studies from

Antioch University, focusing on sacred geography through researching Walden Pond as a place of pilgrimage. She is interested in the phenomenology of place experience, environmental and ecological identity, and how people experience, develop and articulate their connection with nature.

NEW DIRECTIONS IN CONSERVATION PSYCHOLOGY WEBINAR SERIES

Tuesday, March 20, 2018 12:00 – 1:00 PM EST

Have you noticed that some environmental movements seem to suddenly “take off”, like going organic, whereas others seem to struggle with gaining widespread adoption, like reusable shopping bags? In this webinar we’ll dig into the Diffusion of Innovations Theory (Rogers, 2003) that explains how these movements start in the first place, and what turns a movement into a social norm that sticks. In addition to exploring the theory of social norms, this presentation will also identify the behavioral underpinnings for why they occur and how these behavioral insights can be used to motivate greater adoption of conservation behaviors.

Creating a Conservation Movement

Presenter: Brooke Tully

“the scientific study of

the reciprocal relationships between humans and the rest

• f nature, with a

particular focus on how to encourage conservation of the natural world.” (Saunders, 2003, p. 138)

Conservation Psychology is

Image source: http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/hledej.php?hleda=crystal+ball

What [conservation practitioners] need are trained people, useful methods, and tested knowledge that they can use to improve their day-to-day work. (Salafsky, 2003, p. 176)

The Anthropocene Epoch & Homo Sapiens

 Environmental solutions = human behavior

change (Heberlein, 2012; Saunders, 2003; Schultz, 2011, 2013; Stern, 2000a)

Image source: https://www.edgehill.ac.uk/news/2013/10/geological-anthropocene-era/

• Osbaldiston, R. (2013). Synthesizing the

experiments and theories of conservation psychology. Sustainability, 5(6), 2770-2795.

• Osbaldiston, R., & Schott, J.P. (2012).

Environmental Sustainability and behavioral science: Meta-analysis of proenvironmental behavior

• experiments. Environment and

Behavior, 44, 257-299.

* Recycling * Conservation of energy, water, gasoline

Most experimental research on conservation behaviors has focused on a small set of behaviors, principally at the household level.

Image source: http://canacopegdl.com/synonym/household.html

Source: USGCRP, 2017: Climate Science Special Report: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume I[Wuebbles, D.J., D.W. Fahey, K.A. Hibbard, D.J. Dokken, B.C. Stewart, and T.K. Maycock (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, 470 pp, doi: 10.7930/J0J964J6. https://science2017.globalchange.gov/

Human Activities Are the Primary Driver of Recent Global Temperature Rise

The Phenomenon

Image Source: www.divestinvest.org/philanthropy/

Source: DivestInvest.org (2017)

$5.5 trillion

Source: DivestInvest.org (2017)

Fossil Fuel Divested Assets (Pledged/Actual) and Global Stock Market Value

US $5.5 trillion US $63.5 trillion

Data sources: Arabella Advisors (2016); DivestInvest.org (2017); VisualCapitalist.com (n.d.)

Central Research Question:

What explained U.S.-based, private foundation leaders’ readiness to pursue fossil-fuel divestment by their institutions?

Image source: standards.gov.nz

Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change

Core constructs of the TTM.

TTM

Stages of Readiness to Engage in New Behavior

Decisional Balance

Self- Efficacy

Processes

• f

Change

Precontemplation Contemplation Preparation Action Maintenance

TTM Processes of Change Ten Most Effective PEB Interventions and Treatments Consciousness raising: increasing awareness via information, education, and personal feedback about a problem behavior and potential solution Justifications/Instructions: reasons for performing a specific behavior (also called declarative information or why-to information) Dramatic relief: experiencing negative and positive emotions regarding the behavior/change Environmental Reevaluation: assessing impact on others of your behavior and possible change Justifications: reasons for performing a specific behavior (also called declarative information or why-to information) Self-Reevaluation: realizing that the behavioral change is important to personal identity, happiness, success and/or values Cognitive Dissonance: accessing preexisting beliefs or attitudes in attempt to make participants behave in ways that were consistent with those beliefs to reduce the dissonance

Table 2.2 Comparison of TTM Processes of Change and Most Effective PEB Facilitative Interventions and Treatments

Source: Abrash Walton, 2016, p. 78

TTM Processes of Change Ten Most Effective PEB Interventions and Treatments

Social liberation: empowering individuals to engage in the change behavior by providing choices and resources; societal support for behavior; realizing that social norms are changing to support the new behavior Social modeling/Making it Easy: passing of information via demonstration or discussion in which the initiators indicate that they personally engage in the behavior; changing situational conditions, involved making behaviors easier to do Self-liberation: making a firm commitment to change; believing in one’s ability to change and making commitments and recommitments to act on that belief Goal setting/Commitment: aim for a predetermined goal; make some sort of verbal or written commitment to engage in a behavior Helping Relationships: seeking and using social support to make and sustain change; interacting with people who are supportive of the change Counter conditioning: substituting new ways of acting/thinking for old behaviors Making it Easy: changing situational conditions, involved making behaviors easier to do Reinforcement management: increasing rewards for new behaviors and decreasing rewards for old behaviors Rewards: any kind of monetary gain that people received as a result of participating in the experiment Stimulus control: removing reminders and cues to engage in the old behaviors; introducing reminders and cues to engage in the new behaviors Prompts: non-informational reminders to perform the next specific action; Feedback: information about the extent to which a behavior has been performed in an earlier time frame

Table 2.2 Comparison of TTM Processes of Change and Most Effective PEB Facilitative Interventions and Treatments

Source: Abrash Walton, 2016, p. 78

FINDINGS: Divestment Behavior Change Process

Source: www.journeytopenuel.com

Contemplation Preparation (commitment) Action Maintenance

Research Design

Two Datasets Two Phases Phase 1: Study Population Criteria:

• U.S.-based, private independent foundation, as defined by the

U.S. Internal Revenue Service (Internal Revenue Service, 2014)

• Public commitment to divest the foundation’s institutional assets

from fossil fuels (Divest-Invest Philanthropy, 2015) Phase 2: Study Participant Criteria:

• Publicly named as foundation’s representative for the Divest-

Invest Philanthropy divestment commitment (Divest-Invest Philanthropy, 2015) or

• Served in formal, top leadership role (CEOs or board chairs)

Table 4.1 Descriptors of Study Population Organizations Foundation Identifier Geographic Region Total Institutional Assets (millions) Divest-Invest Public Commitment Statement A West Coast < $10 Yes B East Coast < $10 Yes C East Coast < $10 Yes D East Coast < $10 Yes E West Coast < $10 Yes F East Coast < $10 Yes G East Coast < $10 Yes H East Coast < $10 Yes I East Coast < $10 Yes J East Coast < $10 Yes K West Coast < $10 Yes L East Coast $10-30 Yes M West Coast $10-30 Yes N East Coast $10-30 Yes O Mountain/Midwest $10-30 Yes P Mountain/Midwest $10-30 Yes Q West Coast $10-30 Yes R East Coast $10-30 No S East Coast $10-30 Yes T West Coast $10-30 Yes U Mountain/Midwest $30-100 Yes V West Coast $30-100 Yes W East Coast $30-100 Yes X East Coast $30-100 Yes Y West Coast $30-100 Yes

Interviews (N=36; n=18)

Participant Identifier Total institutional assets (millions) Institutional role Geographic Region F1 < $10 President West Coast F2 < $10 Trustee East Coast F3 < $10 Trustee East Coast F4 $10-$30 Board Chair West Coast F5 $10-$30 Executive Director West Coast F6 $10-$30 Executive Director East Coast F7 $10-$30 President Mountain/Midwest F8 $10-$30 President East Coast F9 $10-$30 Trustee East Coast F10 $30-100 Executive Director Mountain/Midwest F11 $30-100 Executive Director East Coast F12 $30-100 Executive Director West Coast F13 > $100 Executive Director West Coast F14 > $100 Executive Director East Coast F15 > $100 CEO West Coast F16 > $100 Trustee West Coast F17 > $100 Executive Director East Coast F18 > $100 President East Coast

Table 4.3 Descriptors for Participants

Divestment Decision

Figure 4.4. Organizational readiness to commit to divestment. Contemplation Preparation (commitment)

Figure 4.5. Conceptual framework: Individual leader divestment commitment and implementation behavior change process.

• Considering

implications of divestment (decisional balance inventory)

• Educating

themselves about the feasibility of divestment

• Engaging the

foundation board in conversation

Contemplation

• Feeling good:

Positive emotions about making commitment to divest

• Making a divestment

plan

Preparation

• Defining what to

divest

• Identifying

alternatives

Action

• Including fossil fuel

divestment in investment policy statement

• Monitoring

investments

Maintenance

All Stages: Engaging effective support from investment advisors

TTM

Stages

Decisional Balance

Self- Efficacy

Processes

• f Change

Table 4.6 Divestment Commitment Decisional Balance Inventory Pros Cons Desire to align investing with mission/vision/values/grant-making Desire to address climate change (moral & economic) Desire to exercise leadership Efficacy and feasibility of divestment, based

• n personal, past activist experience

View of divestment as an investment

• pportunity that would send market signal to

catalyze new investment services and products and influence public policy Time involved in researching and implementing the decision Potential for decreased performance of the investment portfolio

TTM

Stages

Decisional Balance Self- Efficacy

Processes

• f Change

• Ability to identify fossil fuel holdings
• Availability of alternative (i.e., non-fossil fuel) investment

vehicles

• Changing investment advisors
• Clear definitions of what constitutes divestment
• Effective support from investment advisor/s
• Existence of pro-socially responsible investing institutional

investment policy statement

• Familiarity with/prior engagement in

socially responsible investing

• Not owning a high percentage of

fossil fuel holdings, to begin with

• Resources provided by movement organizers

and think tanks (personnel and decision-support tools)

Factors Affecting Sense of Self-Efficacy

TTM

Stages

Decisional Balance

Self- Efficacy

Processes

• f

Change

Process of Change New Term for Process of Change Evidence of Leader Experience Consciousness Raising Recognizing Motivation to divest, based on their understanding of climate change and the consequent need to end the use of fossil fuels Dramatic Relief Reacting Strong emotions about climate change; Positive emotions about committing to divestment; regret at not acting sooner Environmental Re-evaluation Re-evaluating (other) Recognition of the problematic impacts of fossil fuels on human and ecological systems Self Re- evaluation Re-evaluating (self) Desire to align investments with mission, vision, values, and/or grant- making; reflection on leaders’ own identity as environmentalists and activists, including prior experience with South African divestment and other forms of socially responsible investing Social Liberation Realizing Recognition of the divestment movement and the resources movement

• rganizers provided to support the divestment behavior change

Self-liberation Committing Divestment commitment Helping Relationships Reaching Out Actions to engage the effective support of investment advisors; support by movement organizers Reinforcement Management Rewarding Positive performance of portfolio, post-divestment; positive feedback from others about the divestment decision Counter Conditioning Replacing Reinvestment of institutional assets into “climate solutions” Stimulus Control Restructuring Actions to include fossil fuel divestment in the foundation’s investment policy statement

Table 4.8 Processes of Change, New Terms for Processes of Change, and Evidence of Leader Experience (Abrash Walton, 2016)

TTM

Stages

Decisional Balance

Self- Efficacy

Processes

• f

Change

If people just know enough, they’ll change.

Ready Pros outweigh cons Feel confident about ability to change There are10 general techniques for facilitating behavior change



Abrash Walton, Abigail, "Positive Organizational Leadership and Pro-Environmental Behavior: The Phenomenon of Institutional Fossil Fuel Divestment" (2016). Dissertations & Theses. 269.



Ardoin, N., Heimlich, J., Braus, J., & Merrick, C. (2013) Influencing conservation action: What research says about environmental literacy, behavior, and conservation results. New York, NY: National Audubon Society.



Clayton, S., & Myers, G. (2015). Conservation psychology: Understanding and promoting human care for

• nature. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.doi: 9781118874608



Osbaldiston, R. (2013). Synthesizing the experiments and theories of conservation psychology. Sustainability, 5(6), 2770-2795.



Osbaldiston, R., & Schott, J.P. (2012). Environmental Sustainability and behavioral science: Meta-analysis

• f proenvironmental behavior experiments. Environment and Behavior, 44, 257-299.



Prochaska, J.O., DiClemente, C.C., & Norcross, J.C. (1992). In search of how people change: Applications to addictive behaviors. American Psychologist, 47 (9), 1102-1114.



Salafsky, N. (2003). Making conservation psychology relevant to practitioners. Human Ecology Review, 10(2), 174–176.



Saunders, C.D. (2003). The emerging field of conservation psychology. In Human Ecology Review, 10(2), 137-149.



Schultz, P. W. (2013). Strategies for promoting pro-environmental behavior: Lots of tools but few instructions. European Psychologist, 19(2), 107–117. doi:10.1027/1016-9040/a000163



Schultz, P.W. (2011). Conservation means behavior. Conservation Biology, 25(6), 1080–1083. Society of Conservation Biology.



Steg, L. & Vlek, C. (2009). Encouraging pro-environmental behaviour: An integrative review and research

• agenda. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 29(3), 309–317. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2008.10.004



Stern, P.C. (2000b). Toward a coherent theory of environmentally significant behavior. Journal of Social Issues, 56(3), 407-424.



Stern, P. C. (2003). How can conservation psychology become influential? In Human Ecology Review, 10(2), 177–179.

Selected References

Source: Abrash Walton, 2016

N E W D I R E C T I O N S I N C O N S E R V A T I O N P S Y C H O L O G Y W E B I N A R S E R I E S

Facilitating Pro-Environmental Behavior: An Overview of the Research Q & A and Discussion

Moderator:

• Dr. Joy Whiteley Ackerman,

Antioch University New England Presenter:

• Dr. Abigail Abrash Walton,

Antioch University New England

N E W D I R E C T I O N S I N C O N S E R V A T I O N P S Y C H O L O G Y W E B I N A R S E R I E S

Thanks for joining this webinar. Please do offer us your feedback via the brief exit survey.

Facilitating Pro-Environmental Behavior: An Overview of the Research

Tuesday, February 6, 2018 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EST

NEW DIRECTIONS IN CONSERVATION PSYCHOLOGY WEBINAR SERIES

Tuesday, March 20, 2018 12:00 – 1:00 PM EST

Have you noticed that some environmental movements seem to suddenly “take off”, like going organic, whereas others seem to struggle with gaining widespread adoption, like reusable shopping bags? In this webinar we’ll dig into the Diffusion of Innovations Theory (Rogers, 2003) that explains how these movements start in the first place, and what turns a movement into a social norm that sticks. In addition to exploring the theory of social norms, this presentation will also identify the behavioral underpinnings for why they occur and how these behavioral insights can be used to motivate greater adoption of conservation behaviors.

Creating a Conservation Movement

Presenter: Brooke Tully