Hello John,
On the contrary, I agreed with you about the additional need for contextual
inducements.
I hope this latest exchange of e-mails does not deflect others from making
substantive points on the subject.
Jim
PS By the way, I misspelt Mayer's (Hillman) name. I intended to mention him
as well as Aubrey Mayer.
Sign up on-line to VALUE LIFE ITSELF ABOVE ALL ELSE !!!
and support the
NEW MOVEMENT FOR SURVIVAL
Global site: www.save-our-world.net, Challenge page
Sign up on-line to VALUE LIFE ITSELF ABOVE ALL ELSE !!!
and support the
NEW MOVEMENT FOR SURVIVAL
Global site: www.save-our-world.net, Challenge page
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Scull" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, September 24, 2006 9:20 PM
Subject: Re: INTENTION & ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
> Hi Jim,
>
> I don't think you read my response carefully. I agreed that intention is
> a necessary for action, but it is not usually sufficient.
>
> John
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "SoW Net" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sunday, September 24, 2006 12:11 PM
> Subject: Re: INTENTION & ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
>
>
> Dear John and anyone else interested,
>
> Thank you for your response. Feedback is always helpful for understanding
> one another's perspectives and one's own oversights!
>
> I don't know how the studies you cite measured intention and contextual
> factors, whether they included strength of intention,and whether they were
> inductive or hypothesis testing deductive studies, but it sounds as if the
> intentions were somewhat casual, almost spin-of-the-coin type of choices
> or decisions for both 'equal choice' and 'more significant choices'.
> Taking a train or a plane for most people (who are not impassioned
> environmentalists!) is probably decided on the basis of convenience and
> cost. But would: whether to marry? whom you marry? where you live?
> whether to split up or divorce? be contextually decided? As to
> politicians, is not the finding a sad reflection of how compromised they
> are through subserviating what cry out for consideration as deliberate
> decisions to that of staying in office?
>
> I agree that we need to give attention to contextual inducements for
> changing environmental behaviour, but also bolster people's intentions,
> motivation, and changing priorities and values - usually paraphrased as
> 'political will'. As Aubrey, Meyer and others are continually finding,
> none of the contextual inducements can be implemented without the
> necessary intention or will of those with the authority to do so.
> Therefore the case for strengthening intentions is irrefutable.
>
> I realise I am over-simplifying the situation, but I would like to
> stimulate more participation in this matter!
>
> Best wishes from Jim Scott
>
> Sign up on-line to VALUE LIFE ITSELF ABOVE ALL ELSE !!!
> and support the
> NEW MOVEMENT FOR SURVIVAL
> Global site: www.save-our-world.net, Challenge page
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Scull" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2006 6:54 PM
> Subject: Re: INTENTION & ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
>
>
>> Hi Jim,
>>
>> Good letter to the editor, and it's always good to keep these issues
>> before the
>> public.
>>
>> I think I may be the only psychologist on this list, so I'll comment.
>> Social
>> psychological research mostly supports George's assertion. For equal
>> choices
>> (such as voting or selecting different brands) there can sometimes be a
>> fairly
>> strong association between intention and action. For more significant
>> choices
>> (such as taking a train rather than a plane) intention (and related
>> cognitive
>> factors such as knowledge, belief, attitude) usually account for very
>> little
>> variance. For decisions by politicians, contextual factors seem to
>> almost
>> always trump intentions.
>>
>> You are correct that action necessarily follows from intention, but
>> intention
>> does not necessarily lead to action -- in most situations, contextual and
>> situational variables seem to be much more influential than dispositional
>> variables.
>>
>> It is important that we, as environmental activists, recognize this. To
>> change
>> human behaviour in significant ways, it is most important that we focus
>> on
>> providing people with environments that support the changes we want to
>> see. For
>> politicians the context is public opinion, donations, party affiliation,
>> lobbyists, etc. For a good readable introduction to research in this
>> area, see
>> Cialdini, R., "Influence: the psychology of persuasion."
>>
>> John
>> =================================
>> John Scull
>> http://members.shaw.ca/jscull
>> "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary
>> depends
>> upon his not understanding it"
>> --Upton Sinclair
>>
>>> While being totally convinced by George Monbiot's arguments for
>>> grounding most
>>> of the aeroplanes flying today ('On the flight path to global meltdown'
>>> 21
>>> September), I question his assumption about connecting intention and
>>> action on
>>> doing something about it. He maintains 'there seems o be no connection',
>>> but
>>> this must be erroneous. For not only does all action follow from
>>> intention,
>>> but the key to taking action on climate change must be to change
>>> intention -
>>> for real.
>>
>> What Monbiot actually points to is half-hearted intention, or kidding
>> oneself
>> about one's real intention. It requires deeper insight than he gives it.
>> Even
>> his quotation from a Buddhist: "It doesn't matter what you do, as long as
>> you do
>> it with love" has a deeper meaning than he draws from it. For if you
>> really love
>> and value someone, something, or the world, you will ensure that what you
>> do
>> does not harm the object of your love and value.
>>
>> Behind actions lie progressively: intentions, attitudes, motivations,
>> priorities
>> and values. The key to changing behaviour on climate change, as with all
>> the
>> other crises in the world, goes right back to values.
>>
>> This is why our rallying call on climate change in Save our World is to
>> "Value
>> Life Itself above ALL Else !!!". Otherwise we will all lose it.
>>
>> Yours faithfully,
>>
>>
>> Jim Scott, Chairperson, SAVE OUR WORLD
>>
>> 14 Richborne Terrace, London SW8 1AU
>> 020 7640 0492 & 07717 221617
>>
>> Sign up on-line to VALUE LIFE ITSELF ABOVE ALL ELSE !!!
>> and support the
>> NEW MOVEMENT FOR SURVIVAL
>> Global site: www.save-our-world.net, Challenge page
>>
>>
>>
>> --
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>>
>>
>
>
>
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