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A literature review revealed that a statement that puts an extreme demand on a person is likely to elicit the undesirable behavior. On the other hand, a statement that creates a norm appeal is likely to elicit compliance. Therefore, a pilot program was designed to further investigate these findings with respect to litter control. When patrons of a public swimming pool purchased an item at the concession stand, they received a pamphlet containing one of three messages. While one flyer contained an extreme demand ("Don't Litter), another contained a normative appeal ("Help Keep your Pool Clean"). A third pamphlet, which displayed a message unrelated to littering, was used as a control. The frequency of littering was measured by counting the number of each type of flyer that was not properly disposed of in the poolside area. Results: The flyer containing the extreme message elicited the highest frequency of littering of the three handbills. The "Don't Litter" flyer was littered 50% of the time. In comparison, the normative appeal flyer was improperly disposed of only 30% of the time.
Via CBSM.Com
