Conversations on Conservation: Exploring the Effect of Self-Efficacy and Hypocrisy on Environmentalism
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2012
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Haverford College. Department of Psychology
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Thesis
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Award
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eng
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Haverford users only
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Abstract
The present study sought to determine if two constructs known to influence both attitude and behavior change--perceived self-efficacy and hypocrisy-induced cognitive dissonance--might interact to increase pro-environmental conservation behaviors. One hundred and twenty participants were recruited to participate in our 2 x 3 factorial experiment consisting of two levels of self-efficacy condition (high, low) and three levels of cognitive dissonance condition (advocacy, reflection, both/hypocrisy). The experimenters developed a conservation-specific self-efficacy prime and scale/manipulation check, along with a cognitive dissonance manipulation and a conservation-specific attitude scale. Both scales demonstrated high reliability; however, neither prime produced the hypothesized main effects on the respective dependent variables of interest. Participants' self-efficacy scores were then analyzed as quasi-experimental variables, which yielded significant main effects of the quasi- experimental self-efficacy group on both conservation attitudes and more general environmental attitudes (as measured by the NEP) that are consistent with past literature. Unfortunately, no actual increase in pro-conservation behaviors was found due either to ineffective manipulation, floor effects with the behavioral measures, or both. Limitations and future directions for research are discussed.