Does binding communication increase consideration of future consequences and decision-making concerning a pro-environmental behaviour?

Christophe Demarque (1) , Thémis Apostolidis (2) , Robert-Vincent Joule (2)

1 LPS-DT - Laboratoire Psychologie de la Socialisation - Développement et Travail
2 LPS - Laboratoire de Psychologie Sociale

This research was intended to study the impact of binding communication (Joule, Py, & Bernard, 2004), a procedure that is at the crossroads between persuasion and commitment, on Consideration of future consequences (CFC ‒ Strathman, Gleicher, Boninger, & Edwards, 1994) and individuals' decision-making in the field of environmental protection. Since pro-environmental behaviours often involve an investment directed towards the future, we hypothesized that time perspective and especially the consideration of future consequences, traditionally regarded as a personality trait, could be reinforced in a situation of social influence. The goal was to make people more sensitive to long-term consequences of their behaviours, since this sensitivity leads to an increased setting up of pro-environmental behaviours. The results showed an increase of subjects' CFC score after a binding communication procedure. We discuss the practical implications of these results as they relate to communication about environmental issues.

Mots clés: Future time perspective; Consideration of Future Consequences; Binding communication; Pro-environmental behaviours; Pro-environmental behaviours.

Domaines: Psychologie

Christophe Demarque, Thémis Apostolidis, Robert-Vincent Joule. Does binding communication increase consideration of future consequences and decision-making concerning a pro-environmental behaviour?. IAPS. Vulnerability, Risks, and Complexity: Impacts of Global Change on Human Habitats, Hogrefe Publishing, pp.221-229, 2012, Advances in People-Environment studies (Volume 3), 978-0-88937-435-5. ⟨hal-00804072⟩