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How to Make Real Change Stick

How to Make Real Change Stick

Program: Dow Sustainability Fellows Program
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(Dow Fellows Program 2014)

The interdisciplinary team came together with a passion to find ways to combat the overarching problem of overconsumption and waste in the United States. For the project, the team further researched intrinsic satisfaction - a concept proposing that people are better motivated to perform certain tasks if they find inherent value, whether it is interest or fun, in that task. The team recognized that the concept had powerful implications on how businesses, governments, and non-profit organizations motivate the general public to adopt a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. Furthermore, they realized these groups have typically relied on guilt or fiscal arguments to try to promote “green” lifestyle changes. In order to test the effectiveness of this concept, the team honed in on a particular market - in this case, food. The team members conducted interviews to better understand what intrinsic motivations encouraged the adoption of frugal behaviors regarding food consumption. From this research, the team distilled common themes into a “toolset” of characteristics, motivations, emotions, and experiences to tap into for intrinsic motivation.