Household waste recycling behavior: a market segmentation model

The potential of social marketing has been recognized in the United Kingdom by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) as a useful tool for behavioral change for environmental problems. The techniques of social marketing have been used successfully by health organizations to tackle current public health issues. This article describes a research project which explored the current barriers to recycling household waste and the development of a segmentation model which could be used at the local level by authorities charged with waste collection and disposal. The research makes a unique contribution to social marketing through the introduction of a competencies framework and market segmentation for recycling behaviors.

Interactive online health promotion interventions : a “health check”

As an increasingly popular medium by which to access health promotion information, the Internet offers significant potential to promote (often individualized) health-related behavioral change across broad populations. Interactive online health promotion interventions are a key means, therefore, by which to empower individuals to make important well being and treatment decisions. But how ldquohealthyrdquo are interactive online health promotion interventions? This paper discusses a literature review (or ldquohealth checkrdquo) of interactive online health interventions. It highlights the types of interactive interventions currently available and identifies areas in which research attention is needed in order to take full advantage for the Internet for effective health promotion.

Strategies for public engagement on environmental matters:you can lead a horse to water, but can you make it drink?

With no tangible evidence of widespread public engagement in the UK on matters relating to the environment, this article assesses the benefits of adopting the principles of key theoretical models on learning (e.g., Kolb's Experiential Model) in environmental campaigns. In addition, in order to facilitate the transition from environmental knowledge/awareness, to the adoption of proenvironmental behavior, the article reviews some of the key internal and external drivers to achieving sustained behavioral change.

Interactive online health promotion interventions:a “health check”

As an increasingly popular medium by which to access health promotion information, the Internet offers significant potential to promote (often individualized) health-related behavioral change across broad populations. Interactive online health promotion interventions are a key means, therefore, by which to empower individuals to make important well being and treatment decisions. But how ldquohealthyrdquo are interactive online health promotion interventions? This paper discusses a literature review (or ldquohealth checkrdquo) of interactive online health interventions. It highlights the types of interactive interventions currently available and identifies areas in which research attention is needed in order to take full advantage for the Internet for effective health promotion.

Psychotherapy and social change:utilizing principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy to help develop new prejudice-reduction interventions

We propose that key concepts from clinical psychotherapy can inform science-based initiatives aimed at building tolerance and community cohesion. Commonalities in social and clinical psychology are identified regarding (1) distorted thinking (intergroup bias and cognitive bias), (2) stress and coping (at intergroup level and intrapersonal level), and (3) anxiety (intergroup anxiety and pathological anxiety). On this basis we introduce a new cognitive-behavioral model of social change. Mental imagery is the conceptual point of synthesis, and anxiety is at the core, through which new treatment-based approaches to reducing prejudice can be developed. More generally, we argue that this integration is illustrative of broader potential for cross-disciplinary integration in the social and clinical sciences, and has the potential to open up new possibilities and opportunities for both disciplines.

Majority versus minority influence and prediction of behavioral intentions and behavior

Two experiments examined the effects of majority and minority influence on attitude-consistent behavioral intentions. In the first experiment, when attitudes were changed via minority influence there was a greater likelihood to engage in an attitude-consistent behavioral intention than when attitudes were changed via majority influence. This suggests that minority influence leads to stronger attitudes (based on systematic processing) that are more predictive of behavioral intentions, while attitude change via majority influence is due to compliance through non-systematic processing. Further support for this interpretation comes from the finding that the amount of message-congruent elaboration mediated behavioral intention. When there was no attitude change, there was no impact on behavioral intention to engage in an attitude-consistent behavior. Experiment 2 explored the role of personal relevance of the topic and also included a real behavioral measure. When the topic was of low personal relevance, the same pattern was found as Experiment 1. When the topic was of high personal relevance, thus increasing the motivation to engage in systematic processing, attitudes changed by both a majority and minority source increased behavioral intention and actual behavior. The results are consistent with the view that both majorities and minorities can lead to different processes and consequences under different situations. © 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.