Residential Energy Conservation: The Role of Past Experience in Repetitive Household Behavior

Macey, S. M., & Brown, M. A. Residential energy conservation: The role of past experience in repetitive household behavior. Vol. 15. 1983. 123-141.

Discusses repetitive behaviors that conserve residential energy. Repetitive behavior is viewed as a function of past experience, attitudes, subjective norms, and intentions. Data from a 3-wave panel survey of homeowners living in Illinois formed the basis for statistical analysis. Findings indicate that for conservation behavior that was repetitive at a high frequency, adoption was best predicted by past experience; while for less-frequent behaviors, intention was the best predictor. Intentions, in turn, were affected by past experience, attitudes, and subjective norms. Adopters and nonadopters differed in the mechanisms through which their intentions changed: Adopters altered intentions more through changing attitudes and nonadopters through changing social influences. Policy implications are discussed. (34 ref)

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