Potentials Spillover Effects On Pro-environmental Behaviors Based On Environmental Or Monetary Appeals

The spillover effect in environmental realm proposes that engaging in one environmental behavior affects the probability of engagement or disengaging in a second behavior.The positive spillover effect predicts that interventions targeting one specific behavior have the capacity to promote future non-targeted pro-environmental behaviors,while the negative spillover effect predicts that engaging in a first pro-environmental behavior will prevent or decrease a second pro-environmental behavior.The present study took electricity-saving as an example,exploring the spillover effects of environmental framing and monetary framing,and its' potential mechanisms,answering whether labeling someone an "environmentalist" could promote positive spillover effect and decrease negative spillover effect.Preliminary experiment checked the effectiveness of materials,and participants were randomly assigned to receive electricity saving tips with either environmental framing or monetary framing.The control group did not receive any information.The results indicated that both environmental framing and monetary framing groups showed higher intentions for saving electricity than the control group.Experiment 1 used 2(electricity framing:environmental framing vs.monetary framing)× 2(past electricity-saving behaviors:many behaviors condition vs.few behaviors condition)mixed-factorial design to explore the spillover effects of different framing and its' mechanism.The results showed that when framed by environmental materials,participants perceiving that they performed many electricity-saving behaviors reported greater future pro-environmental behaviors intention,and environmental self-identity mediated this positive spillover effect;when framed by monetary materials,participants perceiving that they performed many electricity-saving behaviors reported fewer future pro-environmental behaviors intention,guilt and environmental self-identity mediated this negative spillover effect.Based on the results of experiment 1,in experiment 2,labeling participants both in environmental framing and monetary framing as "environmentalists" led participants in many electricity-saving behaviors reported greater environmental self-identity and stronger intention of environmental donation,increasing the positive spillover effect and decreasing the negative spillover effect.In conclusion,the present study compared the spillover effects and its'mechanism of environmental framing and monetary framing,which has important theoretical implications.Besides,the results of the present study also provide practical guidance regarding pro-environmental education and campaigns:emphasize environmental motivation rather than monetary motivation,and simple pro-environmental behaviors may have surprising effects on environmental protection.