Date of Award
12-1993
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. R. Wayne Fuqua
Second Advisor
Dr. Alan Poling
Third Advisor
Dr. Lisa Baker
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
Several methods for increasing recycling have been presented in the psychology literature. However, many rely on incentive systems that require individual response monitoring for differential delivery of consequences, thus rendering them prohibitively expensive on a community-wide scale. This study examined the effects of three community interventions which may circumvent this limitation: public commitment, group feedback, and a combination of both. The Commitment Only intervention produced no substantial increase in recycling when superimposed upon a curbside recycling baseline. The Feedback Only intervention and the Combined Intervention produced increases of 25.47% and 40.00%, respectively. A no-intervention Control Group decreased in amount recycled by 4.99% over the same period. A cost/benefit analysis indicates that the successful interventions could recover the costs of implementation only if the interventions were conducted on a community-wide scale and if the effects maintained for long periods.
Recommended Citation
DeLeón, Iser Guillermo, "The Effects of Public Commitment and Group Feedback of Curbside Recycling" (1993). Masters Theses. 4811.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/4811