Can arousing cognitive dissonance help turn the tide on plastic pollution?
Authors
Phelan, Eoghan
Issue Date
2020
Degree
Higher Diploma in Arts in Psychology
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights holder
Rights
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Abstract
Much research has pointed to the effectiveness of cognitive dissonance treatments in promoting pro-environmental behaviour and suggested that information-based treatments may have limited effectiveness. The current study sought to examine the impact of arousing cognitive dissonance in relation to the issue of plastic pollution in a between-group experiment, with participants (N = 24) randomly assigned to either a dissonance or information-only condition. Participants’ psychophysiological responses to ocean plastic pollution stimuli were measured via Galvanic Skin Response and Electroencephalography, while self-report questionnaires measured participants’ feelings relating to the issue and intention to reduce their plastic waste, having viewed the stimuli. No significant differences were found between the dissonance and information-only conditions on any of the measures. However, due to the methods used and the limitations of this study, further research is recommended to ascertain the impact of incorporating dissonance-arousing techniques into messaging aimed at encouraging people to reduce their plastic waste.