Buruiana, C (2023) Supporting Plant-based Dietary Behaviour Change: The Effect of Action and Goal Implementation Intentions, and Self-efficacy. Research Master thesis, Research Master.
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Implementation Intentions and Plant-based Consumption_Cristian Buruiana.pdf Download (723kB) | Preview |
Abstract
Individuals can reduce environmental problems by consuming less animal-based products. Evidence suggests that implementation intentions (if-then plans) facilitate desired behaviour change. We proposed that both action and goal if-then plans, related to the intention to eat more plant-based, would decrease animal-based consumption up to 2.5 weeks. Given the unclear mechanism of self-efficacy to decrease one’s animal-based consumption, we tested its main, moderating and mediating effects. We conducted an online experiment in the Netherlands on a convenience sample, N = 287. After three baseline measurements, participants were randomly assigned to the if-then goal group, the if-then action group, and the no-intervention controls; six post-manipulation measurements followed. The results show that compared to controls, and accounting for the effects of time and self-efficacy, the action group significantly reduced their animal-based consumption. The reduction in consumption for the goal group compared to controls was not significant but indicated a short-term effect requiring further research. We found that self-efficacy significantly decreased animal-based consumption. No evidence of moderating or mediating effects was found. The limitations include insufficiently strong manipulation, low statistical power, and more missing data for controls. Our study contributes to the field of environmental psychology with an experimental and longitudinal design, and the introduction of a promising instrument measuring animal-based consumption. We provide recommendations for research and suggest practical implications. Our research endorses action implementation intentions as a cost-effective strategy to increase plant-based consumption. Keywords: implementation intentions, plant-based diet, self-efficacy, experimental manipulation, longitudinal design
| Item Type: | Thesis (Research Master) |
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| Supervisor name: | Werff, E. van der and Judge, M.A.T. |
| Degree programme: | Research Master |
| Differentiation route: | Sustainability in a Changing Society [Research Master] |
| Date Deposited: | 01 Feb 2023 09:11 |
| Last Modified: | 01 Feb 2023 09:11 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/1620 |
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