I'm grateful to the NUS's Jamie Agombar for pointing me towards recent Defra-sponsored research on behaviour. One of these studies focused on moments of change.
This research project explored whether ‘moments of change’ – times in a person’s life where existing habits and behavioural patterns are disrupted – provide a significant opportunity to encourage the take-up of pro-environmental behaviours. The project was conducted via a four-stage programme of work including a non-systematic but extensive literature review and a small number of interviews with practitioners working in areas related to ‘moments of change’. The project aims were to:
Review relevant theoretical literature so as to develop a more nuanced understanding of why moments of change might serve as an effective intervention point;
Explore the extent to which the moments of change hypothesis is supported by existing empirical evidence, about individuals’ responses to personal life changes and to wider socio-economic changes; and
Consider the practical feasibility of intervening at moments of change so as to facilitate and encourage pro-environmental behaviours
In particular, the project sought to understand:
- Do ‘moments of change’ provide opportunities to influence people’s behaviour? Why might ‘moments of change’ be an effective intervention point?
- Do some things work well and others less well in influencing behaviour at ‘moments of change’?
- Do the following ‘moments of change’ (the four life events of leaving home, having a first child, moving house, and retiring, and the wider societal event of macroeconomic flux) provide opportunities to enable more sustainable behaviour?
The report is stimulating (and realistic), although it does a poor job at providing a summary of its findings. Moments of change is not a new idea, of course, and I can see the attractiveness of the notion that when things are in flux, then there's a chance to review and change behaviours (for the better), because change is necessary anyway. I have, however, always been somewhat sceptical of the idea as it seems to assume that such moment of flux will necessarily be propitious for positive change when, in reality, such events are really likely to be very stressful (particularly new babies, moving house, divorce, bereavement, etc) where paths of least resistance and most convenience will likely be followed in order to militate against or offset difficulties encountered.
I have two more positive reflections, however:
[1] retirement, and children 'flying the nest', always seemed to be more likely to give rise to positive change, as such examples offer more time and space within which to change.
[2] some transitions offer institutions opportunities to influence the behaviour of others: students coming to a university, for example; and employees coming into a job.
As the report itself concludes: happily there is considerable scope for further research.
Thompson, S., Michaelson, J., Abdallah, S., Johnson, V., Morris, D., Riley, K., & Simms, A. (2011). "Moments of change‟ as opportunities for influencing behaviour: A report to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. nef (the new economics foundation). Defra, London.
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