Household Water Use and Conservation Behavior: A Meta‐Analysis

Abstract

Understanding the psychological‐social drivers of water‐use behavior in households is essential for enhancing the effectiveness of water‐conservation strategies and subsequent environmental benefits. This study used the Behaviour Change Wheel framework to review associations between capability, opportunity, and motivation (COM) dimensions and household water‐use behaviors. A meta‐analysis of 88 correlation coefficients from a combined sample of 15,656 participants showed positive relationships between water‐use behavior and COM dimensions. These three dimensions were statistically significant in predicting household water‐use behavior, with opportunity being the most moderate predictor of water‐conservation behavior (r = 0.25, p < 0.001), followed by motivation (r = 0.24, p < 0.001) and then capability (r = 0.18, p < 0.001). Collectively, these dimensions explained 37% of the variance in household water‐conservation behavior. Correlation coefficients also diverged as a function of COM dimension subtypes (psychological, physical, social, reflective, and automatic) and study location, study design, and the gender of participants. Overall, the results are consistent with the Behaviour Change Wheel assertion that the integrative components of behavior are important sources of psychological‐social drivers of water‐use behavior. COM dimensions are useful for the identification of behaviors that influence water‐use and how these may diverge depending on the water‐use character of the region and environment.

The influence of water-conservation messages on reducing household water use

“…The BCW framework and COM-B system have been applied in several disciplines and contexts (e.g. Addo et al 2018;Alexander et al 2014;Barker et al 2016;Jackson et al 2014;McLeod et al 2015). Addo et al (2018) found that the psychological-social factors of capability, opportunity, and motivation are the mechanisms of changing behaviour in water conservation.…”

“…Addo et al 2018;Alexander et al 2014;Barker et al 2016;Jackson et al 2014;McLeod et al 2015). Addo et al (2018) found that the psychological-social factors of capability, opportunity, and motivation are the mechanisms of changing behaviour in water conservation. The authors contended that these mechanisms determine specific intervention strategies to target more effective measures and solutions that promote sustainable water-conservation behaviour.…”

The impact of COVID-19 related regulations and restrictions on mobility and potential for sustained climate mitigation across the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK: A data-based commentary.

“…The COM-B model links to a framework of interventions and policies, the Behaviour Change Wheel, which in turn links to a taxonomy of 93 specific behaviour change techniques (Michie et al, 2011(Michie et al, , 2013. These tools can be used to inform the development and evaluation of interventions and policies concerning behaviour change, including increasing health and sustainability following COVID-19 restrictions (Michie et al, 2020) and reviewing pro-environmental behaviour change interventions (Addo et al, 2018;Hedin et al, 2019;Staddon et al, 2016). Behaviour change theory can be used to hypothesise influences on identified behaviour changes that occurred during periods of COVID-19 related restrictions and guidance and to suggest ways to maintain behaviour changes likely to promote climate mitigation (Bouman et al, 2020).…”

Predicting Intent to Conserve Freshwater Resources Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB)

“…One critique of the TPB for predicting natural resource conservation is that it only encompasses basic variable-effect relationships [23]. However, extended models of the TPB have been used successfully with natural resource conservation behaviors [32] and the importance of investigating additional moderating effects for the framework are acknowledged in the literature [39].…”