Write or Waste? Comparing the Effectiveness of Self-transcendence and Self enhancement Appeals in a Shopping List Intervention to Reduce Household Food Waste
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2021-07-09
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nl
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Abstract
Recent research suggests that making shopping lists and adhering to them appears to be a vital
behavior in reducing food waste. Building on these findings, the objective of this research is
to investigate the factors that contribute to the likelihood of making shopping lists and to
examine whether these factors can be used to increase shopping list usage when attempting to
reduce household food waste. The current research performs two Studies; a qualitative,
survey-based study (Study 1: N = 839) to assess the relation between shopping lists and food
waste and to understand consumers’ drivers and barriers to making shopping lists.
Furthermore, an experimental field study (Study 2: N = 169) was undertaken to compare the
effectiveness of a self-enhancement appeal and a self-transcendent appeal in reducing food
waste, in the context of shopping lists. Findings suggest that self-transcendence appeals were
more effective in increasing shopping list usage compared to self-enhancement appeals.
Interestingly, self-enhancement appeals were explicitly reported to be more motivating to
make shopping lists. This shows an interesting dissociation between what people report to be
motivating their behavior and what causes behavioral change. Although household food waste
levels decreased over the course of the study, this effect could not be ascribed to the
intervention for which a causal relationship between making shopping lists and household
food waste remains unestablished. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are
discussed.
Keywords: shopping lists, food waste, habits, behavior change, intervention
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Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen