Page, Sarah Ms. (2022) When Many Waste Little: Using Descriptive Norms to Reduce Household Food Waste. Master thesis, Psychology.
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Abstract
Household food waste has damaging environmental consequences. To tackle this, food waste reducing behaviours must be promoted. The present research aimed to contribute to the scarce literature on household food waste interventions by exploring how targeting descriptive norms as part of an informational, message-based strategy can influence these behaviours. A pro-environmental descriptive norm (i.e., creating the perception that many carry out food waste reducing behaviours) was expected to be more effective than receiving information only. Conversely, an anti-environmental descriptive norm (i.e., creating the perception that few carry out food waste reducing behaviours) was expected to be less effective. Study 1 was longitudinal and, as well as using self-reported measures, used data on participants’ accounts with their waste collection provider in Dublin, Ireland as an objective food waste measure. Study 2 was cross-sectional and aimed at addressing the sample size limitations of Study 1 in Groningen, the Netherlands. Results revealed an overall increase in food waste reducing behaviours and decrease in self-reported food waste (Study 1). However, there were no differences between the interventions (Study 1 and 2). Therefore, our hypotheses were not supported. Future research is needed to explore the potential use of normative household food waste interventions.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Downer, T.J. |
| Degree programme: | Psychology |
| Differentiation route: | Environmental Psychology (EP) [Master Psychology] |
| Date Deposited: | 08 Feb 2022 13:04 |
| Last Modified: | 08 Feb 2022 13:04 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/148 |
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