Spillover in the context of forced behaviour change: observations from a naturalistic time-series study

ABSTRACT

The paper investigates spillover in the pro-environmental context of Australian consumers’ transition to using reusable bags, and explores its implications for other related environmental behaviours. This study uses a natural time-series design (pre, during and post change measures) to examine a real-world instance of a forced behaviour change incorporating changes in people’s grocery shopping habits and possible subsequent behaviours. The study examines attitudes and behaviours including spillover, environmental lifestyle and moral licencing before (n = 200), during (n = 342) and after (n = 346) the phase out of single-use plastic bags. The definition, operationalisation, and measurement of spillover are also explored. Despite conflicting evidence from previous research, our findings suggest that a forced behaviour change can incidentally result in changes in subsequent related behaviours.

KEYWORDS:

• Spillover behaviour
• forced behaviour change
• habit formation
• unconscious and conscious processing
• measurement
• moral licencing
• environmental lifestyle

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the University of Wollongong [Faculty of Business and Law].

Notes on contributors

Sebastian Isbanner

Sebastian Isbanner is a PhD candidate in Social Marketing at the University of Wollongong, Australia. His research focuses on environmental behaviour change and spillover behaviour.

Jennifer Algie

Jennifer Algie is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Wollongong, Australia. She is a behaviour change expert in the area of social marketing, seeking to improve human well-being through her many research endeavours, spanning safety, donation and environmental behaviours.

Nina Reynolds

Nina Reynolds is a Professor at the University of Wollongong, Australia. She is interested in how consumer behaviour and marketing impact on individual and societal well-being, and understanding research methods (with a particular focus on digital research methods).