Psychology and Change

2. Psychology and Change Change mechanisms and communications strategies John Porter Interactions Ltd. Blackberry Lane Delgany, Co. Wicklow john@interactions.ie

3. Change mechanisms 1. Overview • Compulsion • Information • Education • Personal influence (acting on the individual) 2. The instruments in action 3. Psychological theories 4. Putting communications into action

4. Will people change? • People will change ….. If they ‘want’ to • Know attitudes and psychological structures • Offer alternatives • Validate change • Properly organised and structured communications

5. CommunicationsFive essential components Management Change Mechanism Implementation Strategy & Tools Resources Know the audience

6. External Temporary I N F L U E N C E D U R A B I L I T Y Internal Embedded How lasting or ‘embedded’ is change likely to be? • Compulsion • Information • Education • Personal influence

7. Change Mechanisms In Action

8. Mechanisms for Change • Compulsion • Physical constraints and barriers • Mandatory Signs • Legislation • Financial • Congestion & road charging • Fuel tax • Vehicle Registration and Annual motor tax Produce behavioural change regardless of attitudes and desires

9. Mechanisms for Change • Information • Timetables • RTPI and Signage Interreg PARTNER project) • Integrated travel information • ITISS (Koln) and the European Travel Information Web (ETIW) • PARTNER (Portal) • DfT Journey Planner Facilitate behavioural change when there is already an appropriate attitude or desire

10. Mechanisms for Change • Information • Integrated travel information ITISS (ETIW) (Koln) Example: Promoting responsible private car use • P&R sites - click on these to show • Location (local area map / route) • How to get there route-planner from • your origin • Availability, capacity and occupancy trend • PT Connections • Nearby attractions, hotels & restaurants Bottom-up journey-based approach

11. Mechanisms for Change • Information (PARTNER project) • Atlantic Arc Information Portal, signs, brands and new services Travel information linked to enhanced services, common branding and signage. Dublin, Belfast, Merseyside, La Rochelle, Rochefort, Santiago de Compostela Top-down ‘travel opportunity’ based

12. Mechanisms for Change • Education • Classroom learning • Urban Troll etc. • Action Learning • Cycle parks • Cycle training schemes Produce behavioural change through better informed personal choices

13. Education and Learning THE URBAN TROLL GAME Learning and Playing Rules of the Road Transport Modes Gameboard Moveable game pieces Question cards Games speak in the language of the audience

14. Mechanisms for Change • Personal influence • Acting on the individual • Advertising Campaigns • Explicit Rational • Explicit Affective • Implicit (Rational or Affective) • Low Involvement Processing Produce behavioural and attitudinal change without apparent effort or involvement on the part of the target

15. Explicit Says what it means Implicit Subtle - implies what it means Explicit Says what it means Affective (emotional) Usually affective (emotional) but can be rational Cognitive- rational reasoned High audience involvement Practical & behavioural High emotional involvement Low audience involvement ‘Low involvement processing’ Mechanisms for Change

16. Mechanisms for Change Explicit Says what it means • Personal influence • Cognitive Rational Cognitive- rational reasoned High audience involvement Practical & behavioural Strong audience recall No intention to change No observed change

17. Desired attitudinal shift Mechanisms for Change The psychology of a vandalism problem Personal influence

18. Mechanisms for Change Dublin - rewarding children for a drawing competition ‘The Dublin Bus is here for us’ • Personal influence • Cognitive Affective Explicit Says what it means High emotional involvement

19. Mechanisms for Change • Personal influence • Implicit (Rational or Affective) Explicit objective - Look after your car Implicit objective - promote walking for short journeys Look after your heart!

20. Psychological Theory

21. The 7 stages of change modelBased on the theory of Planned Behaviour Linear model, based on rational thinking at a high level of awareness

22. High importance (resist change) Low importance (easy to change) Structures & Processes Core constructs Psychological connections (preferred poles only) Values Cluster Materialistic or concrete constructs

23. Branding Brands communicate both the physical attributes of a product as well as the emotional and aspirational values that become associated with them over time. Commercial companies nurture their brands - they remain consistent and acquire great value. The same principles should be applied to Public Transport and Mobility Management initiatives.

24. Resistant to change Easier to change Psychology of Branding Feelings and emotions A brand includes what you see as well as the feelings and emotions What you see and touch

25. Personal Psychological Change Cycle

26. CPC Cycle Opportunity: Back up compulsion with information, education and personal advantage Campaign / communication intervention points INPUT: Information, Education Action Learning, Campaigns, INPUT Education: Setting out options OUTPUT New behaviours and attitudes Constant re-tests Circumspection Control Pre-emption OUTPUT Smarter choices INPUT: Compulsion, coerced or enforced behaviour

27. C C C C C C C C C C C C P P P P P P Integration with the 7 stages model Perhaps campaigns should be about incremental change? Which stage to influence? Set objectives to address the source of the problem NOT the symptom

28. Management Design Implementation • Objectives • Partnerships • Funding • Research • Evaluation and Feedback • Brand Image • Content • Style • Tone • Mood • Message Giver • Campaign mechanism • Timing • Location • Media Choice • Roll out Implementing a Campaign

29. Summary - Communications must • Be based on precise objectives • Integrate campaign approaches with hard measures • Talk the language of the target audience • Identify with the audience and offer personal advantage • Use current best practice techniques such as low involvement processing • Be adequately resourced with a dedicated management team • Have a roll-out strategy in keeping with current best practice and audience needs

30. Finally • Read the Department for Transport document ‘Making Campaigning for Smarter Choices Work’ • Due for publication soon / contact TTR Nottingham Office