Open Collections

Fin-tastic Alternatives : The Impact of Animal Image and Messaging on Single-cup Use

University of British Columbia. Campus and Community Planning

Introduction Our study aimed to measure the effects of exposure to an orca image and a short text depicting marine consequences on individuals' behavioral intentions to purchase single-use cups. Research Question How does an animal image and a short text affect people’s intention to use single-use cups? Methods Participants (N=252) ranging from ages 16 to 69 were randomly assigned into one of the three conditions: image + text condition, text condition, and blank cup (control condition). We hypothesized that participants in the image + text condition would be less inclined to purchase the single-use cup in our study and were willing to pay less than the other conditions. We used a 7-point Likert scale measuring their willingness to purchase the cup and a scale ranging from 0 to 1 Canadian dollar regarding their willingness to pay. Results We found that participants in the text condition were less inclined to purchase the single-use cup than the control condition but not the image + text condition. There was no significant difference in the amount of money participants were willing to pay for the cup, which contradicted our hypothesis. This may be due to the study being conducted online and participants finding the orca image appealing. Recommendations Enhancing social media platforms regarding single-use cup impacts and promoting 5S principles could increase sustainability on campus. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”

Report

eng

2024-07-30

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/88737

Unreviewed

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/