INSTITUTE OF PSYCHOLOGY

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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.

New publication!

Kaiser, F. G., Henn, L., & Marschke, B. (in press). Financial rewards for long-term environmental protection. Journal of Environmental Psychology. 

Open access until May 22, 2020: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1aqpfzzKD4EMD

Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101411

Abstract:

Monetary rewards are effective for promoting environmental protection. But can protecting the environment for financial reasons result in durable increases in people's inherent motivation to protect the environment—that is, their environmental attitude? With this research, we aimed to experimentally test the long-term efficacy of financial incentive/reward interventions. We randomly assigned a sample of 336 (mostly) students to either of two conditions. Participants in the treatment condition were offered a financial reward for choosing vegetarian lunches. As expected, we found that the monetary reward increased the proportion of vegetarian lunches regardless of students' preexisting environmental attitude levels. The following week, after the financial reward was discontinued, environmental attitude continued to account for the proportion of vegetarian meals, whereas the previous receipt of a financial reward no longer had an effect. Thus, the long-term efficacy of monetary rewards, at least under the conditions of this research, seems questionable.

New publication concerning scale development end educational psychology!

Otto, S., Körner, F., Marschke, B. A., Merten, M. J., Brandt, S., Sotiriou, S., et al. (2020). Deeper learning as integrated knowledge and fascination for science. International Journal of Science Education, 1-28.

Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2020.1730476

Abstract: For scholars and policy-makers alike, deeper learning has been a promising paradigm for fostering students’ interest in and mastery of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Deeper learning is assumed to result in a more thorough understanding of a subject that endures the test of time. To reach this level, a fascination with the subject matter is thought to be a critical motivational element. The focus of our study was to measure the two core consequences of deeper learning: the extent of knowledge integration and the level of fascination with the subject matter (in this case, science and technology). Using a sample of sixth graders from Greece, Finland, France, and Portugal (N = 1,261), we explored the measurement properties of the two newly developed instruments. Both of our deeper learning assessment tools showed satisfactory measurement properties (i.e. fit indices and reliabilities). More importantly, both tools were able to cover a broad range of integrated knowledge and fascination, and thus, they can be used to differentiate between sixth-grade European students with low to high levels of fascination and knowledge. These properties of our assessment tools and their out-of-the-box availability will help foster more empirical research and the development of the deeper learning paradigm.