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Persuasive Normative Messages: The Influence of Injunctive and Personal Norms on Using Free Plastic Bags

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  • Judith I.M. De Groot

    (School of Design, Engineering and Computing, Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus, Poole House, Poole, BH12 5BB, UK)

  • Wokje Abrahamse

    (Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, PO Box 3050, Victoria, BC, V8W 3P5, Canada)

  • Kayleigh Jones

    (School of Design, Engineering and Computing, Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus, Poole House, Poole, BH12 5BB, UK)

Abstract

In this exploratory field-study, we examined how normative messages ( i.e. , activating an injunctive norm, personal norm, or both) could encourage shoppers to use fewer free plastic bags for their shopping in addition to the supermarket’s standard environmental message aimed at reducing plastic bags. In a one-way subjects-design ( N = 200) at a local supermarket, we showed that shoppers used significantly fewer free plastic bags in the injunctive, personal and combined normative message condition than in the condition where only an environmental message was present. The combined normative message did result in the smallest uptake of free plastic bags compared to the injunctive and personal normative-only message, although these differences were not significant. Our findings imply that re-wording the supermarket’s environmental message by including normative information could be a promising way to reduce the use of free plastic bags, which will ultimately benefit the environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Judith I.M. De Groot & Wokje Abrahamse & Kayleigh Jones, 2013. "Persuasive Normative Messages: The Influence of Injunctive and Personal Norms on Using Free Plastic Bags," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(5), pages 1-16, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:5:y:2013:i:5:p:1829-1844:d:25377
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    1. Farrow, Katherine & Grolleau, Gilles & Ibanez, Lisette, 2017. "Social Norms and Pro-environmental Behavior: A Review of the Evidence," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 1-13.
    2. Lea Marie Heidbreder & Josephine Tröger & Manfred Schmitt, 2023. "Exploring the psychological antecedents of private and public sphere behaviours to reduce household plastic consumption," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(4), pages 3405-3428, April.
    3. Sebbane, M. & Costa, S., 2015. "Gaspillage alimentaire en restauration d’entreprise : une analyse qualitative des normes personnelles et sociales," Working Papers MoISA 201502, UMR MoISA : Montpellier Interdisciplinary center on Sustainable Agri-food systems (social and nutritional sciences): CIHEAM-IAMM, CIRAD, INRAE, L'Institut Agro, Montpellier SupAgro, IRD - Montpellier, France.
    4. Sander Van Der Linden, 2013. "Exploring beliefs about bottled water and intentions to reduce consumption: The dualeffect of social norm activation and persuasive information," GRI Working Papers 133, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
    5. Enns, Alfred, 2022. "Die Bedeutung klimaschutzfördernder Entwicklungsprojekte und die Rolle der Salienz der ökologischen Norm für den internationalen Klimaschutz," KCN Schriftenreihe, FOM Hochschule für Oekonomie & Management, KCN KompetenzCentrum für nachhaltige Entwicklung, volume 3, number 3 edited by FOM Hochschule für Oekonomie & Management, KompetenzCentrum für nachhaltige Entwicklung (KCN).
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    7. Ghesla, Claus & Grieder, Manuel & Schmitz, Jan & Stadelmann, Marcel, 2020. "Pro-environmental incentives and loss aversion: A field experiment on electricity saving behavior," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
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    9. Sabrina Eisenbarth & Louis Graham & Anouk S. Rigterink, 2021. "Can Reminders of Rules Induce Compliance? Experimental Evidence from a Common Pool Resource Setting," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 79(4), pages 653-681, August.
    10. Delley, Mathilde & Brunner, Thomas A., 2017. "Foodwaste within Swiss households: A segmentation of the population and suggestions for preventive measures," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 172-184.
    11. Maxime Sebbane & Sandrine Costa, 2015. "Gaspillage alimentaire en restauration d’entreprise : une analyse qualitative des normes personnelles et sociales," Working Papers hal-01165737, HAL.
    12. Hardeman, Gerben & Font, Xavier & Nawijn, Jeroen, 2017. "The power of persuasive communication to influence sustainable holiday choices: Appealing to self-benefits and norms," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 484-493.
    13. Wouter Poortinga & Louise Whitaker, 2018. "Promoting the Use of Reusable Coffee Cups through Environmental Messaging, the Provision of Alternatives and Financial Incentives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-10, March.
    14. Cozzio, Claudia & Volgger, Michael & Taplin, Ross & Woodside, Arch G., 2020. "Nurturing tourists’ ethical food consumption: Testing the persuasive strengths of alternative messages in a natural hotel setting," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 268-279.
    15. Madelijne Gorsira & Linda Steg & Adriaan Denkers & Wim Huisman, 2018. "Corruption in Organizations: Ethical Climate and Individual Motives," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-19, February.
    16. Jaime, Marcela & Salazar, César & Alpizar, Francisco & Carlsson, Fredrik, 2023. "Can school environmental education programs make children and parents more pro-environmental?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    17. Marek Nowacki & Joanna Kowalczyk-Anioł & Yash Chawla, 2023. "Gen Z’s Attitude towards Green Image Destinations, Green Tourism and Behavioural Intention Regarding Green Holiday Destination Choice: A Study in Poland and India," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-17, May.
    18. Astrid Dannenberg & Gunnar Gutsche & Marlene Batzke & Sven Christens & Daniel Engler & Fabian Mankat & Sophia Moeller & Eva Weingaertner & Andreas Ernst & Marcel Lumkowsky & Georg von Wangenheim & Ger, 2022. "The effects of norms on environmental behavior," MAGKS Papers on Economics 202219, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).
    19. Verena Berger & Ulf Schrader, 2016. "Fostering Sustainable Nutrition Behavior through Gamification," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-15, January.
    20. Susan M. Koger, 2013. "Psychological and Behavioral Aspects of Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(7), pages 1-3, July.
    21. Ryan P. Jacobson & Lisa A. Marchiondo & Kathryn J. L. Jacobson & Jacqueline N. Hood, 2020. "The Synergistic Effect of Descriptive and Injunctive Norm Perceptions on Counterproductive Work Behaviors," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 162(1), pages 191-209, February.
    22. Rob Bauer & Inka Eberhardt & Paul Smeets, 2022. "A Fistful of Dollars: Financial Incentives, Peer Information, and Retirement Savings," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 35(6), pages 2981-3020.

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