Proposal and Evaluation of Online Community Which Are Modeled on School Club Activities

for Promoting Pro-Environmental Behavior

Graduate School of Energy Science, Kyoto University

Saizo Aoyagi

Oki Fujiwara

Hirotake Ishii

Hiroshi Shimoda

30 September 2012 1 STSS2012

Introduction • Energy saving in household is a pressing issue

in Japan.

• Promotion of Pro-Environmental Behavior(PEB)

is necessary in Japan. o Example: “switch off electronic appliances when they are not used”

• Communication in a group with distributed

CMC* tool is effective for promoting PEB. o Members mutually promote PEBs and keep doing them.

o Members can join the group when they are staying home.

30 September 2012 2 STSS2012

* Computer Mediated Communication

Purpose • Group norms which promote some actions

are often formed and are disliked by members. – Dropout from mixi, a Japanese famous SNS, was caused by

a norm which forces them to give comments to their friends.

In this study,

• An online community “eco-club” which

members can accept a norm for promoting

PEBs was proposed.

• The proposed community was evaluated

through an experiment.

30 September 2012 STSS2012 3

Approach

o A group norm gives a implicit pressure to participate

in the community and to keep doing PEBs.

4

Senior student Junior

student

“Follow

an example of seniors”

“Behave actively”

Accepted!

Norm

①

②

– “Eco-club” ① Giving members of community

the roles of junior/senior students

which are modeled on

Japanese school club activities.

② Forming positive relationships between members.

→ Norms will be accepted because most Japanese take junior/senior

relationship in club activities for granted.

Not accepted

“Behave actively

as a model of juniors”

30 September 2012 STSS2012

Outline of activities of Eco-club

• Group members carry an iPod touch in their houses.

• iPod touch are connected each other through the Internet

• Members communicate their PEBs with an iPod touch application.

5

The internet

Web server

iPod touch

Wi-Fi station

30 September 2012 STSS2012

30 September 2012

The number of PEBs members

practiced today

③ Every members can see others’ practiced PEBs

on this display.

① When a member does (practices) a PEB…

Reporting PEB practice (ECO-ren)

6

Just after doing PEB

Turn the tap off while washing

PEB list Turn the tap off while washing

② Choose the practiced PEB from PEB list.

④ Mutual monitoring will form group norms for promoting PEBs.

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Communication board

among members

7

Posting a message

30 September 2012

Posting a message

Posting a message

“Eco-club journal (BBS)”

Time flow

Messages

•Electronic bulletin board system •Members communicate each other using this function and make positive relationship.

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Role play and entrance/graduation system

• Role-play helps norms to be accepted easily.

8

Term 1 two weeks

Term 2 two weeks

Term 3 two weeks

Role of

senior students

Role of

junior students

Graduation Graduation Graduation

Role change Role change Role change

Entrance Entrance

Group 1

Group 3 Group 2 Group 4

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Entrance

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SAKURA for norm of active posting

• SAKURAs are special members who are requested to o Post many positive, favorable messages to eco-

club journal.

o Report many PEB practices.

• Other members don’t know existence of SAKURAs.

→Positive relationship among members and a norm of active posting PEB practices will be formed.

9 30 September 2012 STSS2012

Experiment Purpose and method

• Purpose o To evaluate the proposed community and Promotion effect of

PEBs.

• 16 participants joined

o They used the iPod touch application in their houses for a month.

• The experimental period o From 2012 November 14 to 2012 December 25

10 30 September 2012 STSS2012

16 participants

20’s 50’s

Group 3 (4 participants)

Group 2 (4 participants)

Group 3 (4 participants)

Group 2 (4 participants)

Experiment Schedule and procedure

11 30 September 2012

Senior

Junior

Group 1

Group 3 Group 2 Group 4

• Group members • Group 1 and group 4 are all

SAKURAs.

• Group 2 and group 3 include four participants and a SAKURA.

• Questionnaire • PEB frequency was measured

once a week and a month after the period of participation.

• Subjective evaluation of the community was conducted just after the period of participation.

Questionnaire

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 (A month)

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Results Frequency of PEB

• PEB frequency of Group 2 increased.

• That of Group 3 did not significant. o Base levels of 50’s were high

before the experimental period.

o The experimental period was close to new year holiday. (Daily behaviors were probably disturbed)

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0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

事前 週1 週2 週3 週4 週8

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

事前 週1 週2 週3 週4 週8

Before the period

Before the period

Week3 Week4 Week5 Week6 Week10

Week1 Week2 Week3 Week4 Week8

20’s participant3

Group 2

Group 3

50’s participant5

50’s participant2

20’s participant4

20’s participant5 50’s participant3

50’s participant4

*Ratio of "Always" and "Often“ in five-grade Likert scale

50’s participant5

50’s participant4

50’s participant3

20’s participant3

20’s participant4 50’s participant2

20’s participant5

20’s participant2

20’s participant2

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Reports of PEB practices

13

0

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14日

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16日

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18日

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20日

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24日

エコ練報告数

20歳代前半

20歳代後半

50歳代前半

50歳代後半

March, 2012

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6

20’s group 2

20’s group 3

50’s group 2

50’s group 3

• 50’s group reported many PEB practices. o Reports by 50’s increased after their role change.

• Seven participants of 50’s groups and five participants of 20’s groups answered “yes”.

Results and discussion Norm and positive relationship

14

• One participant of 50’s groups and four participants of 20’s groups answered “yes”.

Most participants had

norm consciousness.

Positive relationship

could not be formed. 30 September 2012

“I felt I had to participate in the activities of the community.”

“I posted positive messages in eco-club journal.”

Questionnaire results

No Yes

50’s groups 20’s groups

No Yes

Yes

Neutral 50’s groups 20’s groups

No

Yes

Neutral

Neutral No

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Results and discussion Continuous participation

• Feeling the norm for participation is effective.

• Positive messages are not indispensable?

15 30 September

2012

“I could participate in the community continuously.” Questionnaire results

“I had the norm for participating in the community.”

No

50’s groups 20’s groups

Yes , It caused continuous

participation.

Yes

No

Yes

Yes , It caused continuous

participation.

No Yes

Neutral 50’s groups 20’s groups

No Yes

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Summary

• An online community “eco-club” was

proposed for promotion of PEBs. • Imitate Japanese school club activity.

• The norm for participation in the activities

can be accepted by the participants. • Positive relationships is not indispensable, however, it may

promote participation.

16 30 September 2012 STSS2012

Thank you

30 September 2012 STSS2012 17