Cognitive Accessibility as a New Factor in Proenvironmental Spillover: Results From a Field Study of Household Food Waste Management. Issue 1 (January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sintov, Nicole; Geislar, Sally; White, Lee V.
• Is Part Of: Environment and behavior. Volume 51:Issue 1(2019)
• Page Start: 50
• Page End: 80
• Publication Date: 2019-01
• Subjects: spillover -- behavior change -- curbside compost -- household conservation -- cognitive accessibility; Human ecology -- Periodicals; 304.2
• DOI: 10.1177/0013916517735638
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0013-9165

Abstract

An emerging body of literature has contributed to understanding behavioral spillover; however, a limited range of behaviors and psychological pathways have been studied. The current study investigates whether starting to compost, a relatively difficult behavior receiving limited attention in the spillover literature, results in spillover to household waste prevention behaviors, including food, energy, and water waste prevention. It also tests cognitive accessibility as a new mediator in the spillover process, and advances an integrative process model to address methodological inconsistencies in the spillover literature. Data are from a 2015 longitudinal field experiment to increase composting. Participants ( N = 284) were residents of Costa Mesa, California, who received a structural intervention (i.e., curbside organic waste bins) and procedural information about composting. Positive spillover was observed. Additionally, cognitive accessibility partially mediated the relationship between composting and energy and water waste–prevention behaviors. Future research should adopt a consistent definition of spillover and explore additional pathways.