INSTITUTE OF PSYCHOLOGY

In 2019 new publications by our department are available:

Introducing a new conformity scale

Brügger, A., Messner, C., Dorn, M., & Kaiser, F. G. (2019). Conformity within the Campbell Paradigm: Proposing a new measurement instrument. Social Psycho­lo­gy, 50, 133-144.

Abstract:

Conformity – people’s propensity to comply with the norms and expectations of others – is an important driver of behavior. In this research, we develop a measure of people’s level of conformity which is grounded in an innovative paradigm from attitude research. By relying on relatively easy-to-answer questions about past activities, the new scale addresses some of the conceptual and methodical shortcomings of existing conformity measures. Using a sample of 1,398 people, we calibrated individuals’ claims about how they have conformed with norms, conventions, and the expectations of others in the past. Even though some conformity items seem somewhat gender sensitive, all 33 of them nevertheless form a fairly reliable Rasch scale (rel = .67). Convergent and discriminant validity were corroborated with substantial overlaps with traditional conformity, social desirability, and conscientiousness measures, and with a moderate negative correspondence with people’s desire for uniqueness. Incremental and explanatory validity was provided in a quasi-experiment (n = 152) on evaluations of commercials.

Keywords: social behavior, nonconformity (personality), Rasch model, attitude measurement, Campbell paradigm

Re-interpretation of the Tripartite Model in the Campbell Paradigm

Kaiser, F. G. & Wilson, M. (2019). The Campbell Paradigm as a behavior-predictive reinterpretation of the classical tripartite model of attitudes. European Psychologist, 24, 359-374.

Abstract:

 In this article, we introduce the “Campbell Paradigm” as a novel variant of Rosenberg and Hovland’s (1960) tripartite model of attitudes. The Campbell Paradigm is based on a highly restricted measurement model that speaks of a compensatory relation between a person’s latent attitude and the costs that come with any specific behavior. It overcomes the overarching weakness of the original tripartite model (i.e., its relative irrelevance for actual behavior) and offers a parsimonious explanation for behavior. Even though this seems attractive, we also discuss why the paradigm has not gained momentum in the 50 years since it was originally proposed by Donald T. Campbell. To demonstrate the paradigm’s suitability even when implemented with an unrefined instrument in a domain where it has not been used previously, we apply the paradigm to a classic data example from attitude research from the 1984 US presidential election to account for the electorate’s voting intentions and actual voting behaviors.

Keywords: attitudes, attitude-behavior consistency, attitude measurement, tripartite model, Campbell Paradigm

Development of children's environmental attitude and behavior

Otto, S., Evans, G. W., Moon, M. J., & Kaiser F. G. (2019). The development of children’s en­vironmental at­ti­tu­de and behavior. Global Environmental Change 58, 101947.

Abstract:

Environmental attitude and behavior are at the roots of a sustainable future, yet little is known about their developmental origins in early childhood. This longitudinal study is the first to examine how children’s environmental attitude and behavior develop throughout childhood (ages 7 to 18, N = 118). Environmental attitude and behavior form around the age of 7, increase until the age of 10, level off until the age of 14, and then decline again. Environmental behavior develops from childhood to early adolescence and starts consolidating from age 10 onwards, whereas environmental attitude remains in flux at least through early adulthood.

Keywords: environmental behavior, conservation (ecological behavior), environmental attitudes, child development trends

New publication!

Henn, L., Taube, O., & Kaiser, F. G. (2019). The role of environmental attitude in the efficacy of smart-meter-based feedback interventions. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 63, 74-81.

Open access for 50 days: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1YwTCzzKD0Pot

Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2019.04.007

Abstract:

When implemented in the field, smart-meter-based feedback interventions typically lag behind the presumed energy-saving potential of the technology. As we and others argue, part of the problem is that such interventions do not work equally well for everyone. The significance of a feedback intervention for actual energy savings depends on the rigor with which people make use of smart-meter-based information. In a quasi-experiment (N=186), we expectedly found that registering for a web portal that provided smart-meter-based feedback led to moderate energy savings conditional on a person's environmental attitude level. Apparently, a person's attitude discloses itself in the rigor with which this person makes use of an energy-saving opportunity. Hence, to effectively restrain consumption and save energy, environmental attitude is essential because, not only must people make appropriate behavioral choices, but they must also rigorously implement these choices.

Our website has been updated!

The website of the Institute of Psychology was updated and features new design elements - and so does the webpage of the Department of Personality and Social Psychology. We appreciate your feedback, may it be suggestions for adding more information or reporting technical bugs: please send an email to Emily (ebauske@ovgu.de) to help us improve the new webpages bit by bit. Thank you!

In the newest episode of Katie Patrick's podcast "How to Save the World" titled "The Real Psychology of Why We Make Environmental Changes" Prof. Florian Kaiser talks about sustainable behavior, environmental attitude, and behavioral costs. Here you can find more information about the episode.

In his invited keynote ad­dress at the Leuven Institute of Advanced Study in Leuven, Belgium, Prof. Florian Kaiser talks about what environmentally protective behavior is and how we can support it. Watch the talk here.