Open Collections

Re-Use the Mug : Effects of Visual Animal Nudges on Self-reported Likelihood of Reusable Mug Usage and Emotional Response

University of British Columbia. AMS Sustainability; University of British Columbia. Campus and Community Planning

Introduction This study aimed to investigate the impact of visual animal nudge-based interventions, specifically through posters, on participants’ self-reported likelihood of future reusable mug use and emotional response to environmental messaging. Research Question How does placing two different empathy-eliciting marine animals (turtle and dolphin) on visual nudge posters impact people's emotions and influence their decision to use reusable coffee cups? Methods Conducted among 328 participants, primarily consisting of University of British Columbia students aged 18-44, the experiment divided individuals into one of three poster groups. Inspired by past research indicating the effectiveness of certain animals in eliciting empathetic responses, the posters selected were a control, turtle, and dolphin poster. Participants' intentions regarding reusable mug usage and their emotional reactions (measured through happiness, distress, and empathy) were measured using Likert scales following exposure. Additionally, participants were asked to select barriers and motivations surrounding reusable mug use from a list to gauge which factors may affect the overall user experience of reusable mugs. Results Findings did not find significant alterations in emotional response or likelihood of reusable mug use. This was possibly due to the short intervention duration, the study's post-test-only design, and the hypothetical nature. These limitations, alongside the sampling method and environmental conditions, may have influenced the study's outcomes, suggesting a need for more controlled, observational research to gauge the efficacy of visual animal nudges in promoting environmental behaviours. Recommendations We recommend UBC implement interventions that target forgetfulness and leverage environmental consciousness. Furthermore, the UBC campus should focus on creating spaces that incentivize reusable mug use as the user experience for a reusable mug user can be hostile due to inconvenience, financial issues, hygiene, and limited availability. To further increase the usage of reusable mugs and to meet the Zero Waste Action Plan (ZWAP) 2030 target, UBC can also opt to provide reusable cups for free to their students. 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/2429/88749

Unreviewed

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