Internal and External Factors' Influence on Recycling: Insights From a Laboratory Experiment With Observed Behavior

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.699410

. 2021 Jul 22:12:699410.

doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.699410. eCollection 2021.

Internal and External Factors' Influence on Recycling: Insights From a Laboratory Experiment With Observed Behavior

Noah Linder¹, Sonny Rosenthal², Patrik Sörqvist¹, Stephan Barthel^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Building Engineering, Energy Systems and Sustainability Science, University of Gävle, Gävle, Sweden.
² Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
³ Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.

PMID: 34367024
PMCID: PMC8340013
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.699410

Internal and External Factors' Influence on Recycling: Insights From a Laboratory Experiment With Observed Behavior

Noah Linder et al. Front Psychol. 2021.

. 2021 Jul 22:12:699410.

doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.699410. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Noah Linder¹, Sonny Rosenthal², Patrik Sörqvist¹, Stephan Barthel^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Building Engineering, Energy Systems and Sustainability Science, University of Gävle, Gävle, Sweden.
² Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
³ Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.

PMID: 34367024
PMCID: PMC8340013
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.699410

Abstract

Internal psychological factors, such as intentions and personal norms, are central predictors of pro-environmental behavior in many theoretical models, whereas the influence from external factors such as the physical environment is seldom considered. Even rarer is studying how internal factors interact with the physical context in which decisions take place. In the current study, we addressed the relative influence and interaction of psychological and environmental factors on pro-environmental behavior. A laboratory experiment presented participants (N = 399) with a choice to dispatch a used plastic cup in a recycling or general waste bin after participating in a staged "yogurt taste test." Results showed how the spatial positioning of bins explained more than half of the variance in recycling behavior whilst self-reported recycling intentions were not related to which bin they used. Rinsing cups (to reduce contamination) before recycling, on the other hand, was related to both behavioral intention and external factors. These results show that even seemingly small differences in a choice context can influence how well internal psychological factors predict behavior and how aspects of the physical environment can assist the alignment of behavior and intentions, as well as steering behavior regardless of motivation.

Keywords: behavior; environment; intention; norms and attitudes; physical context.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

**FIGURE 1**
Manipulating the spatial positioning of the bins. The taste test booth with the recycling bin and general waste bin spatially separated (**panel A**) and adjacent to each other (**panel C**). In the Far condition, the general waste bin is moved further away but clearly visible upon entering the taste test booth (**panel B**), figure modified from Rosenthal and Linder (2021).

**FIGURE 2**
Prompts used in the study. **(A)** The visual guide to rinsing showing how clean a recyclable have to be in order to avoid risking contamination, **(B)** a “control prompt” with no information about rinsing (published with permission by Authors).

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

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[1] Aarts H., Verplanken B., Knippenberg A. (1998). Predicting behavior from actions in the past: repeated decision making or a matter of habit? J. Appl. Soc. Psychol. 28 1355–1374. 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1998.tb01681.x - DOI

[2] Aarts H., Verplanken B., Knippenberg A. (1998). Predicting behavior from actions in the past: repeated decision making or a matter of habit? J. Appl. Soc. Psychol. 28 1355–1374. 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1998.tb01681.x - DOI

[3] Ajzen I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organ. Behav. Hum. Decis. Proc. 50 179–211.

[4] Ajzen I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organ. Behav. Hum. Decis. Proc. 50 179–211.

[5] Armitage C. J., Conner M. (2001). Efficacy of the theory of planned behaviour: a meta-analytic review. Br. J. Soc. Psychol. 40 471–499. 10.1348/014466601164939 - DOI - PubMed

[6] Armitage C. J., Conner M. (2001). Efficacy of the theory of planned behaviour: a meta-analytic review. Br. J. Soc. Psychol. 40 471–499. 10.1348/014466601164939 - DOI - PubMed

[7] Bamberg S., Möser G. (2007). Twenty years after Hines, Hungerford, and Tomera: a new meta-analysis of psycho-social determinants of pro-environmental behaviour. J. Environ. Psychol. 27 14–25. 10.1016/j.jenvp.2006.12.002 - DOI

[8] Bamberg S., Möser G. (2007). Twenty years after Hines, Hungerford, and Tomera: a new meta-analysis of psycho-social determinants of pro-environmental behaviour. J. Environ. Psychol. 27 14–25. 10.1016/j.jenvp.2006.12.002 - DOI

[9] Barr S. (2007). Factors influencing environmental attitudes and behaviors: a UK case study of household waste management. Environ. Behav. 39 435–473. 10.1177/0013916505283421 - DOI

[10] Barr S. (2007). Factors influencing environmental attitudes and behaviors: a UK case study of household waste management. Environ. Behav. 39 435–473. 10.1177/0013916505283421 - DOI

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Internal and External Factors' Influence on Recycling: Insights From a Laboratory Experiment With Observed Behavior

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Internal and External Factors' Influence on Recycling: Insights From a Laboratory Experiment With Observed Behavior

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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