Littering behaviour: A systematic review

Abstract

Littering is a widespread problem that has negative consequences for the wellbeing of society and has been discussed in a wide range of subject areas. However, the lack of a unified understanding of the literature on littering presents an opportunity for a synthesis of the literature. This systematic review integrated the findings from 70 journal articles spanning 48 years. The articles were analysed for use of theories, models, methods, locations of study, variables and study findings. The researchers also undertook a content analysis of the literature to understand the evolution of approaches across time. The findings show that situational and psychological factors have often been studied using the ‘Focus Theory of Normative Conduct’ and the ‘Integrative Behaviour Model’. However, the findings have been inconsistent, with varying results for some of the situational, psychological and administrative factors. The content analysis identified that the literature from 1971 to 2006 was mostly confined to developed countries (80%) with the majority of studies examining situational and psychological factors. The gaps in the literature provided a basis for proposing five future research directions including the development of social marketing interventions by improving the theoretical groundings of previous works. As littering is consumer behaviour, it is also important to investigate the role of businesses as an integral part of the consumer exchange process to assist in improving the situation. The detailed future research directions and the conclusions of the review are presented.

Scientific procedures and rationales for systematic literature reviews (SPAR‐4‐SLR)

“…Chaudhary et al. 's (2021) review on littering behavior consists of 70 journal articles over 48 years. Their review indicates that littering attitudes, intentions, and behavior, including its attribution and justifiability, are directly influenced by demographic, educational, psychological, situational, and reinforcement factors, with some factors assuming a dual role (e.g., dependent factors as mediators and independent factors as moderators).…”

Problem awareness does not predict littering: A field study on littering in the Gambia

“…To date, most research focusing on the psychological dimension of littering has been conducted in the Global North (for reviews see e.g. Almosa et al, 2017;Caudhary et al, 2021), mainly tested in Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic societies, so-called WEIRD societies (Henrich et al, 2010). Briefly, this research shows that among the factors influencing littering behavior are personal norms that individuals hold and social norms that they perceive (see e.g.…”

Consumer collecting behaviour: A systematic review and future research agenda

“…The low use of a theoretical framework is consistent with the declaration of collecting research lacking a “focused, theory‐driven manner” (Spaid, 2018, p. 657). The importance of the use of theory is also seen in practice, such as evidence of applied marketing interventions supported by theory being more effective than those not backed by theory (Chaudhary et al., 2021). Specifically, to collect behaviour, a greater theoretical foundation would be required to advance research effectively and address the lag with practice.…”