A Community-Based Gasoline Conservation Project

Two previous studies obtained 20% driving reductions with college students. However, college students are easier to work with than a representative community population because of their common location and lower exposure to environmental contingencies (e.g., job, family). This study found that a community-based project was feasible in terms of recruiting participants, their cooperativeness in reporting mileage, and the 15% average reduction in miles driven. Drivers in an experimental group were paid for individual and team driving reductions relative to baseline and to matched control group drivers who were simply asked to reduce and who were paid an amount approximating the experimental group. This study raised possibilities as well as problems for future community-based studies. For example, given the cooperativeness of some persons and increasing gasoline prices, will small monetary incentives become practical? Problems remain in detecting artifactual effects due to changes in life events, holidays, weather, and finding ways around the rules. Solutions may require deviation from standard behavior-analytic methodology (e.g., control groups, discussing driving habits with participants).