Framing for Sustainability: Exploring the Impact of Autonomous and Prescriptive Message Framing on Energy-Saving Behavior and the Moderating Effect of Autonomy
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2024-06-25
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en
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The increasing concerns on climate change necessitates the adoption of pro-environmental behaviors from all individuals. This thesis investigates the effectiveness of autonomous and prescriptive message framing on energy-saving actions while examining the significant influence on a control condition with no message. A field experiment was conducted in which participants had to complete an online survey and were randomly exposed to one of the message conditions and to a neutral control group. The results of the study provided interesting insights. Neither autonomous nor prescriptive message framing significantly increased energy-saving behavior, contradicting established theories. The need for autonomy played a significant role as it was an influence in engaging in energy-saving actions. Both prescriptive an autonomous framed messages were ineffective for individuals with high need for autonomy as it negatively impacted behaviors, contradicting initial hypotheses. Specifically, the results revealed that while prescriptive can be effective in turning off the lights, message framing requires careful considerations of individual needs. However, environmental awareness, a key driver for pro-environmental behavior, was found as non-significant driver in this study. The thesis contributes to the field of message framing pro-environmental behavior by highlighting the role of autonomy and message framing in promoting sustainable actions
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen