institute of energy and sustainable development carl holland social networks and environmental...
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Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development
Carl Holland
Social Networks and Environmental Psychology:
Data Collection
Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development
Introduction
• Context
• Understanding behaviour
• Social Network Analysis
• Data collection
• Preliminary results
Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development
Context
• Higher Education Funding Council for England
(HEFCE) propose a link between capital
funding and carbon emissions
• DMU Sustainable Development Taskforce
(SDTF) set up in Autumn 2007
• Engage with staff
Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development
Understanding behaviour
• Over 40% of UK emissions from individual behaviour
• Well used models and theories of behaviour:
– Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)
– Schwartz’s Norm Activation Theory (NAT)
– Triandis’ Theory of Interpersonal Behaviour (TIB)
• None of the above fully measure social influences –
often asking, at most, for “perceptions”
Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development
Social Network Analysis
• Nodes and ties
• Relationships between individuals
• Ego networks or whole networks
• Recognises the importance of contacts,
position, access to resources
Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development
Examples of Social Network Analysis
Krebs. V., (2002) Uncloaking Terrorist Networks, First Monday, Volume 7 (4)
Krebs. V., (unpublished) It’s the conversations, stupid! The link between social interaction and political choice.
Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development
Respondents and Procedure
• DMU Staff
• Invite individuals randomly selected from DMU
email database
• Task 1: Gather ‘ego’ network data
• Task 2: Gather environmental psychology data
• Task 3: Gather characteristics of alters
Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development
Task 1: Ego Networks
• Egos asked to name those that they are “Very
close” to amongst all DMU employees.
• “Very close” are those that:
– They discuss important matters with,
– They regularly keep in contact with,
– Are there for them when they need help.
•Report alter-alter ties
Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development
Task 2: Value-Belief-Norm Theory
Stern. P., Dietz. T., Abel. T., Guagnano. G., Kalof. L. (1999) A Value-Belief-Norm Theory of support for social movements: The case of Environmentalism, Research in Human Ecology, Volume 6 (2)
• 13 values questions – egoistic, altruistic, biospheric• Full 15 question NEP• 18 Awareness of Consequences (AC),Ascription of
Responsibility (AR), Pro Environmental Personal Norms (PN)
Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development
Task 2: Acceptability Judgements – Policy Support
1a) Should DMU reduce its greenhouse gas emissions?
1b) Should DMU receive less funding if it doesn’t reduce its
greenhouse gas emissions?
2a) Reduce attending international students by 20%
2b) Allow staff to work from home one day per week
2c) Double the price of a car parking permit
2d) Reduce the target heating temperature by 1JC
2e) Help staff pay for annual train passes with loans
Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development
Task 3: Gathering Alter characteristics
• Ego given named and numbered paper copies of the
survey to give to their ‘alters’
• ‘alters’ are those that they selected as being ‘very
close’ to.
• ‘alters’ returned completed surveys in the internal post
Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development
Results
• 88 Egos met face-to-face (31% of those invited)
• 606 Alters named by egos
• 86 alters were named twice or more
• 414 alters were named once only
• 407 alters have completed survey (67%)
Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development
Ego network sociograms
