Cleaning up our acts: Psychological interventions to reduce engine idling and improve air quality

Abrams, D.; Lalot, F.; Hopthrow, T.; Templeton, A.; Steeden, B.; Özkeçeci, H.; Imada, H.; Warbis, S.; Sandiford, D.; Meleady, R.; Fell, E.; Abrams, Z.; Abrams, A.; Ngan, X.Q.; Celina, S.; Tanyeri, A.; Gammon, M.; Abrams, B.; Fischer, L.; Drysdale, S.; Dewi, R.; Leite, A.C.; Mills, A.; Peckham, S.

Abstract

A large-scale field experiment tested psychological interventions to reduce engine idling at long-wait stops. Messages based on theories of normative influence, outcome efficacy, and self-regulation were displayed approaching railway crossing on street poles. Observers coded whether drivers (N = 6049) turned off their engine while waiting at the railway crossings (only 27.2% did so at baseline). Automatic air quality monitors recorded levels of pollutants during barrier down times. To different degrees, the social norm and outcome efficacy messages successfully increased the proportion of drivers who turned off their engines (by 42% and 25%, respectively) and significantly reduced concentrations of atmospheric particulate matter (PM2.5) 2 m above ground level. Thus, the environment was improved through behavior change. Moreover, of both practical and theoretical significance, there was an ‘accelerator effect’, in line with theories of normative influence whereby the social norm message was increasingly effective as the volume of traffic increased.

Citation

Abrams, D., Lalot, F., Hopthrow, T., Templeton, A., Steeden, B., Özkeçeci, H., Imada, H., Warbis, S., Sandiford, D., Meleady, R., Fell, E., Abrams, Z., Abrams, A., Ngan, X., Celina, S., Tanyeri, A., Gammon, M., Abrams, B., Fischer, L., Drysdale, S., …Peckham, S. (2021). Cleaning up our acts: Psychological interventions to reduce engine idling and improve air quality. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 74, Article 101587. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101587

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 11, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Mar 15, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021-04
• Deposit Date: Mar 26, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 15, 2023
• Journal: Journal of Environmental Psychology
• Print ISSN: 0272-4944
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 74
• Article Number: 101587
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101587
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1250600