Skip to main content
Kent Academic Repository

“We aren’t idlers”: Using subjective group dynamics to promote prosocial driver behaviour at long-wait stops

Player, Abigail, Abrams, Dominic, Van de Vyver, Julie, Meleady, Rose, Leite, Ana C., Randsley de Moura, Georgina, Hopthrow, Tim (2018) “We aren’t idlers”: Using subjective group dynamics to promote prosocial driver behaviour at long-wait stops. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 48 (11). pp. 643-648. ISSN 0021-9029. (doi:10.1111/jasp.12554) (KAR id:68778)

Abstract

Idling engines are a substantial air pollutant which contribute to many health and environmental problems. In this field experiment (N = 419) we use the subjective group dynamics framework to test ways of motivating car drivers to turn off idle engines at a long wait stop where the majority leave their engines idling. One of three normative messages (descriptive norm, in-group prescriptive deviance, outgroup prescriptive deviance) was displayed when barriers were down at a busy railway level-crossing. Compared to the baseline, normative messages increased the proportion of drivers that turned off their engines. Consistent with subjective group dynamics theory, the most effective approach was to highlight instances of in-group prescriptive deviance (47% stopped idling, compared with 28% in the baseline). Implications for health and environmental outcomes and future research are discussed.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1111/jasp.12554
Uncontrolled keywords: social norms; deviance; engine emissions; air quality; pro-environmental behavior; subjective group dynamics
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: Dominic Abrams
Date Deposited: 24 Aug 2018 08:21 UTC
Last Modified: 04 Jul 2023 13:58 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/68778 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Player, Abigail.

Creator's ORCID:
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

Abrams, Dominic.

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2113-4572
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

Van de Vyver, Julie.

Creator's ORCID:
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

Leite, Ana C..

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7829-5641
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

Randsley de Moura, Georgina.

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6285-6128
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

Hopthrow, Tim.

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2331-7150
CReDIT Contributor Roles:
  • Depositors only (login required):

Total unique views for this document in KAR since July 2020. For more details click on the image.