Universität zu Köln

Herziger, Atar ORCID: 0000-0002-3771-6446, Benzerga, Amel, Berkessel, Jana, Dinartika, Niken L., Franklin, Matija, Steinnes, Kamilla K. and Sundstrom, Felicia (2017). A Study Protocol for Testing the Effectiveness of User-Generated Content in Reducing Excessive Consumption. Front. Psychol., 8. LAUSANNE: FRONTIERS MEDIA SA. ISSN 1664-1078

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Abstract

Excessive consumption is on the rise, as is apparent in growing financial debt and global greenhouse gas emissions. Voluntary simplicity, a lifestyle choice of reduced consumption and sustainable consumer behavior, provides a potential solution for excessive consumers. However, voluntary simplicity is unpopular, difficult to adopt, and under researched. The outlined research project will test a method of promoting voluntary simplicity via user-generated content, thus mimicking an existing social media trend (Minimalism) in an empirical research design. The project will test (a) whether the Minimalism trend could benefit consumers interested in reducing their consumption, and (b) whether self-transcendence (i.e., biospheric) and self-enhancement (i.e., egoistic and hedonic) values and goals have a similar impact in promoting voluntary simplicity. A one-week intervention program will test the efficacy of watching user-generated voluntary simplicity videos in reducing non-essential consumption. Each of the two intervention conditions will present participants with similar tutorial videos on consumption reduction (e.g., decluttering, donating), while priming the relevant values and goals (self-transcendence or self-enhancement). These interventions will be compared to a control condition, involving no user-generated content. Participants will undergo baseline and post intervention evaluations of: voluntary simplicity attitudes and behaviors, buying and shopping behaviors, values and goals in reducing consumption, and life satisfaction. Experience sampling will monitor affective state during the intervention. We provide a detailed stepwise procedure, materials, and equipment necessary for executing this intervention. The outlined research design is expected to contribute to the limited literature on voluntary simplicity, online behavioral change interventions, and the use of social marketing principles in consumer interventions.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Herziger, Atar UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-3771-6446 UNSPECIFIED Benzerga, Amel UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Berkessel, Jana UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Dinartika, Niken L. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Franklin, Matija UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Steinnes, Kamilla K. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Sundstrom, Felicia UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-227864
DOI:	10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00972
Journal or Publication Title:	Front. Psychol.
Volume:	8
Date:	2017
Publisher:	FRONTIERS MEDIA SA
Place of Publication:	LAUSANNE
ISSN:	1664-1078
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language AFFECT SCHEDULE PANAS; VOLUNTARY SIMPLICITY; NEGATIVE AFFECT; SIGNIFICANT BEHAVIOR; VALUE ORIENTATIONS; LIFE-STYLES; MATERIALISM; VALUES; VALIDATION; CONSEQUENCES Multiple languages Psychology, Multidisciplinary Multiple languages
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/22786