The role of beliefs, attitudes, social influence, and intentions as predictors of residential energy conservation behaviour is explored in the context of Fishbein and Ajzen's theory of reasoned action. Empirical analysis of survey data from Decatur, Illinois provides support for the theory and insight into barriers to energy conservation.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AjzenIFishbeinM, 1980Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Social Behavior (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ).
2.
BowmanC HFishbeinM, 1978“Understanding public reaction to energy proposals: An application of the Fishbein model”Journal of Applied Social Psychology8319–340.
3.
BrownM A, 1980“Attitudes and social categories: Complementary explanations of innovation-adoption behaviour”Environment and Planning A12175–186.
4.
BrownM AMaceyS M, 1980“The adoption of residential conservation measures: A pilot study” report to the Office of Energy Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL.
5.
BrunnerJ ABennettG F, 1977“Coping with the energy shortage: Perceptions and attitudes of metropolitan consumers”Journal of Environmental Systems6253–268.
6.
BrunnerJ ABennettG F, 1978“The people speak on resolving the energy problem and the proposed solutions: Perceptions of metropolitan consumers”Energy Communication4239–255.
7.
CraigC SMcCannJ M, 1978“Assessing communication effects on energy conservation”Journal of Consumer Research582–88.
8.
CunninghamW HLopreatoS, 1977Energy Use and Conservation Incentives: A Study of the Southwestern United States (Praeger, New York).
9.
CurtinR T, 1976“Consumer adaptation to energy shortages”Journal of Energy and Development238–59.
10.
DarleyJ MBenigerJ R, 1981“Diffusion of energy-conserving innovations”Journal of Social Issues37150–171.
11.
Executive Office of the President Energy Policy and Planning, 1977The National Energy Plan: Summary of Public Participation (US Government Printing Office, Washington DC).
12.
FishbeinM, 1973“Introduction: The prediction of behaviors from attitudinal variables” in Advances in Communications Research Eds MortensenC DSerenoK K, (Harper and Row, New York) pp 3–31.
13.
FishbeinMAjzenI, 1975Belief Attitude, Intention and Behavior: An Introduction to Theory and Research (Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA).
14.
FritzscheD J, 1981“An analysis of energy consumption patterns by stage of family life cycle”Journal of Marketing Research18227–332.
15.
GlassmanMFitzhenryN, 1976“Fishbein's subjective norm: Theoretical considerations and empirical evidence”Proceedings of the Sixth Annual Conference, Association for Consumer Research Ed. AndersonB B, (Association for Consumer Research, Ann Arbor, MI) pp 477–480.
16.
JacksonE L, 1980“Perception of energy problems and the adoption of conservation practices in Edmonton and Calgary”The Canadian Geographer24114–130.
17.
KendallK W, 1978“Consumer behavior and energy conservation”Position paper, review and proposals, preliminary draft prepared 1 March for Consumer Research Branch, Consumer and Corporate Affairs, Ottawa, Canada.
18.
LandonE LBanksS K, 1978“An evaluation of telephone sampling designs”Proceedings of the Eighth Annual Conference, Association for Consumer Research Ed. HuntH K, (Association for Consumer Research, Ann Arbor, MI) pp 103–108.
19.
LutzR J, 1977“An experimental investigation of causal relations among cognitions, affect, and behavioral intention”Journal of Consumer Research3197–208.
20.
MaadahA GMaddoxR N, 1976“Energy consumption in the typical American home”Energy Communications2237–261.
21.
MazisM BAhtolaO TKlippelR G, 1975“A comparison of four multi-attribute models in the prediction of consumer attitudes”Journal of Consumer Research238–52.
OlgyayV, 1963Design with Climate: Bioclimate Approach to Architectural Regionalism (Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ).
24.
OlsenM E, 1981“Consumers' attitudes toward energy conservation”Journal of Social Issues37108–131.
25.
PenzA JYaskyY, 1979“Uncertainties in predicting energy consumption in houses”Energy Systems and Policy3243–269.
26.
PilatiD A, 1976“Residential energy savings through modified control of space-conditioning equipment”Energy1233–239.
27.
RyanM JBonfieldE H, 1975“The Fishbein extended model and consumer behavior”Journal of Consumer Research2118–136.
28.
SchumanHJohnsonM P, 1976“Attitudes and behavior”Annual Review of Sociology2161–207.
29.
SeligmanCDarleyJ M, 1977“Feedback as a means of decreasing residential energy consumption”Journal of Applied Psychology62363–368.
30.
SeligmanCDarleyJ MBeckerL J, 1978“Behavioral approaches to residential energy conservation” in Saving Energy in the Home: Princeton's Experiments at Twin Rivers Ed. SocolowR H, (Ballinger, Cambridge, MA).
31.
SmileyR, 1979“The levels and determinants of household insulation activity”Energy41087–1098.
32.
SteadmanP, 1975Energy, Environment and Building (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge).
33.
WinettR ANealeM SGrierH C, 1979“Effects of self-monitoring and feedback on residential electricity consumption”Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis12173–184.
