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In this animated video we offer a short introductory explanation of what the Campbell Paradigm is. The video (implemented by Science Animated) is a helpful starting point to get into this research focus of ours. Have a look and let us know what you think!

New publication!

Kaiser, F. G. (2021). Climate change mitigation within the Campbell paradigm: Doing the right thing for a reason and against all odds. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 42, 70-75.

Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.03.024

Abstract:

The fact that a behavior can be instrumental for multiple goals does not logically entail that people are typically propelled into action for multiple reasons. On the contrary, goal-directed behavior in the real world is, in a given instance, aimed at one focal goal. In this article, I present the Campbell paradigm, in which a particular behavior is controlled by a single reason or goal. To identify the very reason (i.e. the focal goal behind a goal-directed behavior) and its motivating force, psychologists need to consider behavior-specific costs and whether other behaviors that are also instrumental for attaining the specific goal are realized as well. I situate my presentation in the context of climate change mitigation.

Highlights:

• To fully grasp a behavior, all goals for which it is instrumental must be considered.

• In the Campbell paradigm, actual behavior is aimed toward one focal goal at a time.

• The paradigm requires that the commitment to a goal offsets the costs of a behavior.

• Commitment shows in the varied and variedly taxing behaviors people engage in.

• People’s goal striving commitment is equated with the strength of their attitudes.

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New publication!

Henn, L., Otto, S., & Kaiser, F. G. (2020). Positive spillover: The result of attitude change. Journal of Environmental Psychology 69, 101429. 

Open access for 50 days: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1ay1QzzKD4ERg

Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101429

Abstract:

Behavioral spillover is the phenomenon when a behavior change is accompanied by subsequent changes in other behaviors related to the same goal (e.g., environmental protection). We propose to understand behavioral spillover as the result of attitude change. According to the Campbell Paradigm (see Kaiser, Byrka, & Hartig, 2010), pro-environmental behaviors are an expression of a person's environmental attitude. The higher the person's level of environmental attitude, the more behavioral costs the person will endure to perform pro-environmental behaviors. Thus, if the person's attitude changes, what is commonly called behavioral spillover will occur: For all pro-environmental behaviors, the person's likelihood of engaging in any one of them will increase. We illustrate this argument by presenting a secondary analysis of data showing that an attitude change results in the frequencies of various pro-environmental behaviors increasing by 3.5% on average. Our proposed model of spillover enforces the idea that those who wish to promote sustainable pro-environmental behavior must inspire changes in people's environmental attitudes instead of attempting to change specific behaviors.