Foot-in-the-door and action identification. Binding communication applied to environmental conservation

Abstract Introduction Growing concern for the environment gives rise to the development of projects aimed at changing attitudes and/or behaviors of individuals in a more ecological way. While the traditional levers of change (information/persuasion) have clear limitations ( Perloff, 2003 ), the promising results of Binding Communication ( Joule et al., 2004 ) present a relevant alternative. Objective Our research, based on the Binding Communication paradigm, aimed to encourage participation in a project to reduce energy consumption and CO 2 emission. The underlying theoretical aim was to identify the impact of action identification ( Vallacher and Wegner, 1985 ) on individual behavior. A variable that commitment theorists ( Girandola, 2003 , Joule and Beauvois, 1998 , Joule et al., 2004 ) consider as decisive in the paradigm effect although it has not yet been empirically studied. Method One hundred and twenty-three households in Brittany, France received a letter inviting them to participate in the presented project. According to three experimental conditions, some households had already received a phone call in order to answer a questionnaire about the environment (8–10 days earlier), wording in reference to two distinct identification levels. Results Statistical analyses showed a positive effect of procedure on intention to participate when the wording of the initial questionnaire referred to a high and adequate level of identification. Conclusion Discussed in the context of commitment ( Joule and Beauvois, 1998 , Joule and Beauvois, 2002 , Kiesler, 1971 ), self-perception ( Bem, 1972 ) and action identification ( Vallacher and Wegner, 1985 ); the results provide the first empirical validation of the effect of action identification on Binding Communication.