The issue of changing human behavior is a complicated one. From
when we were young, we have been affected by a variety of societal influences,
from social groups to education to religion. We develop attitudes and beliefs
about the world. Over time, our beliefs and behaviors become more and more ingrained,
and they are often difficult to change as we grow older. However, change may
soon be a necessity. Environmental issues such as climate change, pollution,
and deforestation have rapidly worsened, and it is critical that we change our
attitudes and behavior to help prevent further environmental decline.
How can we accomplish the monumental task of changing society’s
attitudes, beliefs and behaviors regarding the environment? One idea is to
approach the problem through models, such as Rational Actor Models, that trace
the origins of behaviors to help us understand what influences them. The Theory
of Planned Behavior is a way to visualize how attitudes about behavior,
subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control contribute to volitional
behavior (Ajzen 1985, 1991). For instance, a potential application of this
model is changing habitual car use. Donald, et al. (2014) has suggested that interruptions
in car use, such as residential relocation, increases the likelihood of reducing
habitual car use and commuters becoming more aware of the environmental benefits
of public modes of transportation.
Can such models be effective in the long run? It will likely
depend on how predictable behavior really is, as well as how additional
variables impact behavior. Additional factors such as morality and
environmental concern could also play a role in changing attitudes and behavior
for a more sustainable future.
I think a related question is how useful are these behavior change models in general? They seem to be more useful for academics, for academic purposes, rather than for real-world practitioners. Being aware of the potential variables that can influence our attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, motivations, etc. is useful and important. But at the end of the day, someone working for a non-profit is probably not going to read about these specific models in depth. Perhaps we need more people working to make behavioral research and models more accessible and useful to practitioners working in the field. While I'm not sure if the "Nudge" book specifically mentions any models, I like how it makes these ideas accessible to a wider audience.
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