Psychology Report: Message Framing's Impact on Water Conservation

This psychology report investigates the application of message framing to improve efficacy in water conservation, particularly in drought-stricken areas of Australia. The study explores the complex interplay between environmental issues, social behaviors, and psychological factors. It reviews existing literature, including studies by Cheng, Woon & Lynes (2011), Landon et al. (2018), and Block and Keller (1995), to understand how message framing influences public perception, self-efficacy, and behavioral compliance in relation to water conservation. The report highlights the importance of tailoring messages to address risk perceptions, self-referencing, and the target audience's knowledge and experiences. It emphasizes the need for social marketing campaigns that resonate with the public, fostering altruism and promoting positive behavioral changes. The research also discusses the implications of the findings, suggesting that educational initiatives, training programs, and persuasive messaging are crucial for effectively managing water resources and mitigating the impact of droughts. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding the psychological underpinnings of water conservation efforts to create effective communication strategies.

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Overview
Drought is a very complex environmental issue that actually causes a lot of different
problems both at a social level and a psychosocial level. Shortage of water not only leads to
dehydration and metabolic issues in the community but it also affects the hygienic conditions
of the communities and the societies (Van’t Riet et al., 2016). In the rural and remote areas of
Australia, the water resources are getting scarce and limited amount of water had rendered
the situation more difficult as the situation has been getting more grave and tense, even more
so in the arid regions of Australia. As for measures, new actions has been strategized by the
Australian government, both local levels and the national levels – to teach the people the right
appropriate ways of saving water and making people aware about the water conservation
methods by increasing self-efficacy (Amatulli et al., 2019). The act of message framing is
very important as it is used to deliver a particular idea to the intended public. The very ideas
are framed appropriately so as to persuade the population with a strategy which in this case is
drought management through the way of water conservation. Creating awareness about water
conservation and creating a more actual self-efficacy technique is the main focus of this
study.
Literature Review
According to Cheng, Woon & Lynes (2011) who aimed to study ‘The Use of Message
Framing in the Promotion of Environmentally Sustainable Behaviors’ found out that
importance of changing the perception of people in the environmentally prone area and
creating awareness with the appropriate message framing tool. The study critically analyses
and creates a probable way of creating an appropriate message in every possible manner.
According to the researchers of this study – the first thing that is vital in the message framing
procedure is the risk level involved in behavioral uptake which can be otherwise described as
the perception of an individual about the level of risk involved when they are trying to take

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up a compliance behavior that is imperatively required to sustain the environment and it is
highly critical that the individual perceives the same in a positive way for the compliance to
happen correctly. Secondly, the extent to which there exists self-other referencing and self-
referencing actually affects the belief of an individual in a certain environmental sustenance
strategy in a very positive or negative and even neutral manner. Thirdly, the psyche, mindset
of the target population audiences as in their experience with similar environmentally adverse
situations before plus the level of knowledge they have as a group plus individualistically
also affects the framing of message directed towards sustainable environmental strategy.
More the knowledge plus positive perception - more is the acceptance of the framed message
mediated environmental strategy. Lastly, the genders of the targeted audiences also play a
role in many message framing and campaigns. The strength of the study is that it identifies
that if the social marketing campaigns such as environmental safeguarding program can
really affect the public, then it has to be done through social message farming in the very
right way. More than anything, the public must not feel threatened by the message but must
be able to relate to the message both logically and socioculturally (Bom.gov.au., 2019).
Understanding the emotions of the subjects are also very critical and the population that is to
be dealt with – must pass through these five stages pre contemplation, contemplation,
preparation, action, and maintenance, in a respective order and manner. The message
framing, as identified by the researchers of this study are actually involved with, the
knowledge and understanding of a certain population and more than anything, it has been
emphasized that the trust, competence and belief of the target population has to be urgently
taken into consideration, every time a message is framed and social marketing campaign is
about to be undertaken at a local or a national level. The study researches recognizes the fact
that ‘the right message’ can definitely bring about a great environmental and social change
but only when the framed message is successful at bring out a positive perception and

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positive action out of a behavioral altered individuals. Above all, the framed message must be
developed on the projection of ‘altruism’.
Landon et al. (2018) aims to study ‘Evaluating the efficacy of an information-based
residential outdoor water conservation program; and finds out very important correlation
between the usage of information and message framing in the working out of water
conservation plan. More than anything, the researchers of this study uses persuasive
technique to understand and apply the knowledge of message framing on increasing the
awareness of the drought infested public population about the saving of household,
residential and outdoor usage of water. The researchers of this study also identified
behavioral compliance, positive perception, positive attitude amongst the shared imagination
of target population as the main and the most crucial tool in the receiving of a projected or a
delivered information service to intended people which in this case is to safeguard their water
resources plus the savings of regular day to day usage of water. More so, the moral obligation
of the public, if ignited to the right degree by the framed message, can bring a huge
environmental change. The limitation of the study is that at times, the content digresses from
the research purpose.
Block and Keller (1995) aims to study ‘when to Accentuate the Negative: The Effects
of Perceived Efficacy and Message Framing on Intentions to Perform a Health-Related
Behaviour’ and the researchers of this very vital study emphasized on the correlation of
message framing and its effect on the perception and self-efficacy of the individuals who
form the target population. The study identifies intrinsic and extrinsic motivation plus the self
-connectedness to the concept or the idea being thrown at the message information delivery to
the target population, as a very pivotal relationship. Perceived efficacy is an important
concept explored by the researchers of this social psychology study and more than
everything, the most important aspect is that the level of low efficacy being very important as

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driver towards a higher efficacy through attention, focus and positive perceived efficacy
about the strategy to be delivered to save the environment and save life.
The Current Study
The literature review which was undertaken to analyze the background and the major
research problem came to the point of understanding that although the water conservation is a
very effective manner of saving water and saving the resources of water before, during and
after the time of draught but despite all the efforts undertaken to teach the public about
strategy of water and environmental conservation but it is always the ways of message
framing that either creates or hinders the way to interest the public in undertaking of a
particular water conservation campaign, in the arid part of Australia. The aim of the study is
to understand the application of message framing to improve efficacy in relation to water
conservation in times of drought.
Research hypotheses
H1 The application of message framing improve efficacy in relation to water conservation in
times of drought
H2 The application of message framing does not improve efficacy in relation to water
conservation in times of drought
Implications
As per the reviewed literature and evidences used to support and explore the use of
message framing in the development of water conservation campaigns – certain
underpinnings to the same research problem has been identified. Firstly, the motivation factor
plays a very important role in the betterment of feelings of the individuals who perceived the
risks associated with the framed message in relation to water conservation in drought.

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Education of the children who are the most susceptible to waste water and the women who
are most vital individuals using water for household purposes – must be taught with the right
seminars and the workshops plus by the social marketing campaigns with and about the
vitality of saving water and this is where again, the criticality of the framed message comes to
play (Chang, Zhang & Xie, 2015). Next, the training to the environmentalists and the
supportive staffs is very critical when it comes to saving the people from the drought infested
areas where water and food, both are very scarce and more than everything, as because water
play a very vital role in the survival process, the saving of water plus the framing of message
targeted at the saving of water resources plus not polluting the water with wastes of the
factories and industries – is a critical step in the prevention and management of the
environmental water resources. Again education and training of the public and the
employees, staffs involved with the water conservation process is implicated in a very
pertinent way and the use of persuasive message is recommended. The framing of message
should be based on morality attachment of the people, connect to their desires and needs,
connect to their experiences and the knowledge plus intellect so that the message farming is
successful and the delivered message is perceived as being potent and appropriate by the
target population in every manner and from every aspect of cognition. This would also
impact their belief and behavioral outcomes with compliance.

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References
Amatulli, C., De Angelis, M., Peluso, A. M., Soscia, I., & Guido, G. (2019). The effect of
negative message framing on green consumption: An investigation of the role of
shame. Journal of Business Ethics, 157(4), 1111-1132.
Block, L. G., & Keller, P. A. (1995). When to accentuate the negative: The effects of
perceived efficacy and message framing on intentions to perform a health-related
behavior. Journal of marketing research, 32(2), 192-203.
Bom.gov.au. (2019). Monthly Drought Statement. [online] Available at:
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/drought [Accessed 26 Dec. 2019].
Chang, H., Zhang, L., & Xie, G. X. (2015). Message framing in green advertising: The effect
of construal level and consumer environmental concern. International Journal of
Advertising, 34(1), 158-176.
Cheng, T., Woon, D. K., & Lynes, J. K. (2011). The use of message framing in the promotion
of environmentally sustainable behaviors. Social Marketing Quarterly, 17(2), 48-62.
Landon, A. C., Woodward, R. T., Kyle, G. T., & Kaiser, R. A. (2018). Evaluating the
efficacy of an information-based residential outdoor water conservation
program. Journal of cleaner production, 195, 56-65.
Van’t Riet, J., Cox, A. D., Cox, D., Zimet, G. D., De Bruijn, G. J., Van den Putte, B., ... &
Ruiter, R. A. (2016). Does perceived risk influence the effects of message framing?
Revisiting the link between prospect theory and message framing. Health Psychology
Review, 10(4), 447-459.

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