2017/11/15 by Nita Lauren, Liam D. G. Smith, Liam Smith +2 · 109 citations
Environmental Science · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Behavioral Health and Interventions #Economics #Environmental Education and Sustainability #Identity (music) #Microeconomics #Perception #Psychology #Self-efficacy #Social and Intergroup Psychology #Social psychology #Spillover effect #Structural equation modeling
paper · doi:10.1177/0013916517740408
published in Environment and Behavior 51(3), 235-258 (SAGE Publishing)
openalex publication_date 2017/11/15 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25
Behavioral spillover theory has potential for promoting meaningful behavior change. Spillover occurs when engagement in environmental behaviors affects the adoption of other environmental behaviors. By testing a new experimental model of spillover, this article is the first to concurrently investigate three predicted mechanisms of spillover—self-identity, self-efficacy, and contribution ethic—on different types of environmental behavior. The experimental spillover model examined how triggering self-perceptions (i.e., self-identity, self-efficacy, and contribution ethic) may influence the likelihood of spillover to occur from engagement in household behaviors to intentions for other environmental behaviors. Triggering self-identity was associated with increased private- and public-sphere intentions. Contrary to expectations, contribution ethic was not associated with decreased intentions, and instead was associated with increased public-sphere intentions. Self-efficacy did not uniquely influence intentions. These findings demonstrate that everyday behaviors can provide an “entry point” for other behaviors, strengthening self-perceptions and generating positive spillover.