Using Prompted Self-Inoculation to Increase Support for Campus Recycling

Abstract

The current study examined whether methods grounded in inoculation theory could combat problematic recycling behavior on a college campus. Participants in the experiment were prompted to rebut none, one, or three of the anti-recycling statements emailed to them by the experimenter (who posed as another participant). Results indicated that, overall, participants’ recycling attitudes became more positive over the course of the study, most likely as a result of pro-recycling information provided by the experimenter. Inoculation-specific attitude changes were also observed. Areas for future research on the use of precise inoculation-based manipulations are discussed.