The Use of Stimulus Control over Littering in a Natural Setting

Articles
O’Neill, G. W., Blanck, L. S., & Joyner, M. A. (1980). The use of stimulus control over littering in a natural setting. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 13, 2, 379-381.
A conventional litter receptacle (55-gallon drum) and a specially designed receptacle consisting of a 55-gallon drum adorned with a plywood "hat" were alternated in 2 areas of a f…

Several Antecedent Strategies in Reduction of an Environmentally Destructive Behavior

Articles
Smith, J. M., & Bennett, R. (1992). Several antecedent strategies in reduction of an environmentally destructive behavior. Psychological Reports, 70, 1, 241-242.
Investigated the effects of response-specific prompts, prompts identifying long- and short-term consequences, and response-specific prompts on the reduction of environmentally des…

Reducing Elevator Energy Use: A Comparison of Posted Feedback and Reduced Elevator Convenience

Articles
Van Houten, R., Nau, P. A., & Merrigan, M. (1981). Reducing elevator energy use: A comparison of posted feedback and reduced elevator convenience. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 14, 4, 377-387.
Assessed the effects of 2 procedures for reducing elevator energy use. In the 1st procedure, feedback about the amount of energy consumed by the elevators each week was posted on …

Prompting Dog Owners to Pick Up Dog Droppings

Articles
Jason, L. A., Zolik, E. S., & Matese, F. J. (1979). Prompting dog owners to pick up dog droppings. American Journal of Community Psychology, 7, 3, 339-351.
The present study investigated daily dog droppings and the amount picked up by owners in an urban area. In addition, two behavioral strategies (signs, instructions plus modeling)…

Effects of Informational Prompts on Energy Conservation in College Classrooms

Articles
Luyben, P. D. (1980). Effects of informational prompts on energy conservation in college classrooms. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 13, 4, 611-617.
A multiple-baseline design was used with 2 target classroom groups of 28 and 27 Ss in a study to reduce electrical energy waste. A dittoed letter, signed by a faculty member, was …

The Unintended Effects of a Posted Sign on Littering Attitudes and Stated Intentions

Articles
Horsley, A. D. (1988). The unintended effects of a posted sign on littering attitudes and stated intentions. Journal of Environmental Education, 19, 3, 10-14.
The effects of an anti-littering sign that read "We treat litterbugs like all insects" were compared with those for a sign that read "Please save our landscape; don't litter." Ss …

Toward a Sustainable Society: Waste Minimization through Environmentally Conscious Consuming

Articles
Linn, N., Vining, J., & Feeley, P. A. (1994). Toward a sustainable society: Waste minimization through environmentally conscious consuming. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 24, 17, 1550-1572.
The experiment was an educational intervention that promoted and described an ongoing environmental tagging program located in a chain of 3 local grocery stores. Over the period o…

Using Verbal and Visual Prompts to Control Littering in High Schools

Articles
Houghton, S. (1993). Using verbal and visual prompts to control littering in high schools. Educational Studies, 19, 3, 247-254.
Investigated the use of verbal and visual prompts to control litter behavior of students in 2 Western Australian high schools. 1,750 students participated in the study. Data were …

Designing Effective Instructional Signs with Schema Theory: Case Studies of Polystyrene Recycling

Articles
Werner, C. M., Rhodes, M.U. & Partain, K. K. (1998). Designing effective instructional signs with schema theory: Case studies of polystyrene recycling. Environment and Behavior, 30, 5, 709-735.
Two studies supported the hypothesis that signs designed to create a new polystyrene schema would be more effective than signs that did not address patrons' existing schemata. Sch…

Public Policy and Consumer Information: Impact of the New Energy Labels

Articles
McNeill, D. L. & Wilkie, W. L. (1979). Public policy and consumer information: Impact of the new energy labels. Journal of Consumer Research, 6, 1, 1-11.
Investigated 2 questions about the federal energy consumption labeling program for home appliances: (a) the likely impact of the labels on consumers and (b) the relative effect of…

North America

Introductory Workshop

Jun 10th - 12th, 2026

Registration Ending Soon!
Learn More

Brisbane

Introductory Workshop

Oct 13th - 14th, 2026

Learn More

Perth

Introductory Workshop

Oct 19th - 20th, 2026

Learn More

Melbourne

Introductory & Advanced Workshops

Oct 27th - 30th, 2026

Learn More

Auckland

Introductory & Advanced Workshops

Nov 9th - 12th, 2026

Learn More
New 4TH Edition

Available Today!

Fostering Sustainable Behavior Book Cover

The latest edition of Fostering Sustainable Behavior features updated research, case studies, and practical strategies that can substantially impact the adoption of sustainable behaviors.

Site Courtesy of
McKenzie-Mohr & Associates

Expertise in Community-Based Social Marketing