Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Exploring the psychological antecedents of private and public sphere behaviours to reduce household plastic consumption

Researchers surveyed 648 people to understand what psychological factors drive different plastic-reduction behaviors — switching to plastic-free products, political activism, and supporting policy. Personal moral norms predicted all three types of action, while feeling personally capable was the strongest driver of purchase decisions, suggesting that reducing plastic use requires addressing both values and practical barriers.

2022 Environment Development and Sustainability 28 citations
Article Tier 2

The human dimension: how social and behavioural research methods can help address microplastics in the environment

This paper outlines how social and behavioral science research methods — including surveys, interviews, and behavioral experiments — can be applied to understand human dimensions of the microplastic pollution problem. Addressing plastic pollution requires not just environmental science but also understanding why people produce, use, and dispose of plastics as they do.

2016 Analytical Methods 89 citations
Article Tier 2

Pro-environmental behaviour is undermined by disgust sensitivity: The case of excessive laundering

Not relevant to microplastics — this is a social psychology study examining how disgust sensitivity and pro-environmental identity conflict to drive excessive laundry washing behavior among European consumers.

2024 PLoS ONE 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Social Preferences and Environmental Behavior: A Comparison of Self-Reported and Observed Behaviors

A study comparing self-reported and observed environmental behaviors found people often overstate how pro-environmentally they act. Social preferences and peer influence shape both stated and actual behaviors, with implications for designing more effective environmental campaigns.

2020 Sustainability 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis of Factors of Single-Use Plastic Avoidance Behavior for Environmental Sustainability in China

A structural equation modeling study of 421 Chinese respondents found that attitude, perceived behavioral control, and policy intervention significantly influenced single-use plastic avoidance behavior, mediated by behavioral intentions and plastic-related environmental concerns.

2023 Processes 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Consumer-based actions to reduce plastic pollution in rivers: A multi-criteria decision analysis approach

Researchers applied multi-criteria decision analysis to evaluate consumer-based actions for reducing macroplastic pollution in European freshwater environments, focusing on commonly found single-use plastic items. The analysis ranked actions by their potential to reduce plastic inputs to rivers, providing a framework to guide consumer choices and inform policy targeting the most impactful plastics.

2020 PLoS ONE 70 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effect of Environmental Education, Consumer Awareness, and Environmentally Friendly Practices on Plastic Waste Reduction in Indonesia

Researchers measured the effects of environmental education, consumer awareness, and environmentally friendly purchasing intentions on pro-environmental behavior, using structural equation modeling on survey data. Environmental education indirectly improved behavior through increasing awareness and purchase intention, suggesting that educational interventions are most effective when paired with behavioral prompts.

2024 West Science Social and Humanities Studies 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Extending the theory of planned behaviour to investigate the issue of microplastics in the marine environment

Researchers extended the theory of planned behaviour to investigate public attitudes toward marine microplastic pollution, finding that environmental awareness and perceived behavioral control significantly predicted consumers' intentions to reduce microplastic-generating product use.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Knowledge, concerns and attitudes towards plastic pollution: An empirical study of public perceptions in Portugal

A survey of public knowledge, concerns, and attitudes toward plastic pollution found that awareness varied significantly across demographic groups, and that concern about plastic in different environmental compartments (air, water, soil) did not always translate into pro-recycling behaviors.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Sociodemographic factors and feelings of guilt in household waste management in Peruvian households

This paper is not about microplastics — it examines how sociodemographic factors such as age, income, and education influence feelings of guilt around household waste recycling in Peruvian families.

2024 International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Do attitude towards behavior, subjective norms, and perceived control behavior matter on environmentally friendly plastic purchasing intention?

This study investigated whether attitude toward behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control predict consumer intention to purchase environmentally friendly plastic products, using questionnaire data collected via social media platforms. The findings provide empirical support for the Theory of Planned Behavior as a framework for understanding sustainable plastic purchasing decisions.

2024 International Journal of Management and Sustainability 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Explicitly and Implicitly Measured Valence and Risk Attitudes Towards Plastic Packaging, Plastic Waste, and Microplastic in a German Sample

This psychology study measured both explicit and implicit attitudes toward plastic packaging and microplastics in German consumers, finding that people simultaneously appreciate the convenience of plastic while expressing concern about pollution. The gap between attitudes and behavior helps explain why plastic consumption continues despite public concern about microplastics.

2021 3 citations
Article Tier 2

What influences public support for plastic waste control policies and green consumption? Evidence from a multilevel analysis of survey data from 27 European countries

This multi-country survey across 27 European nations found that media use and country-level factors shape citizens' support for plastic waste policy and green consumption. People who consumed environmental news from diverse media sources were more likely to support plastic reduction policies and adopt green behaviors. The findings have implications for designing effective public communication strategies about plastic pollution.

2023 Online Media and Global Communication 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Self-reported behaviours and measures related to plastic waste reduction: European citizens’ perspective

Researchers analyzed Eurobarometer survey data on European attitudes toward plastic waste and found that while citizens recognize plastic pollution as a serious environmental problem, concern does not consistently translate into reduced plastic use behaviors, with women, younger adults, and higher-income respondents being most likely to act.

2023 Waste Management & Research The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Knowledge of ecological concepts, environmental concern, and ecological behavior: A multiple correlation analysis

This education study examined the relationship between ecological knowledge, environmental concern, and pro-environmental behavior in students. Environmental education that increases knowledge about plastic pollution and microplastics is associated with greater concern and more sustainable behaviors.

2023 JPBI (Jurnal Pendidikan Biologi Indonesia) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Predictive Power of Goal-striving Reasons for Self-reported and Actual Plastic Consumption

This psychology study examined whether people's reasons for reducing plastic use can predict their actual plastic consumption behavior. Understanding the psychological drivers of plastic reduction could inform more effective public communication campaigns about microplastic pollution.

2021 Humanities and Social Sciences
Article Tier 2

Exploring the Differences and InfluencingFactors of Public Participation in EnvironmentalProtection Behavior in the Private and PublicSpheres in China

Not relevant to microplastics — this sociological study analyzes factors influencing Chinese citizens' environmental protection behaviors in public and private spheres, using 2013 national survey data.

2023 Polish Journal of Environmental Studies 6 citations
Article Tier 2

A Change of Mind: Applying Social and Behavioral Research Methods to the Assessment of the Effectiveness of Ocean Literacy Initiatives

This paper reviews how social and behavioral science methods can be used to measure whether ocean literacy programs actually change people's environmental behaviors. Better evaluation tools are needed to determine if public education about plastic pollution leads to real reductions in plastic use.

2019 Frontiers in Marine Science 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices toward Plastic Pollution among Malaysians: Implications for Minimizing Plastic Use and Pollution

Researchers surveyed Malaysians about their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding plastic pollution. The study found that while most people were aware of plastic pollution problems, there was a significant gap between awareness and actual behavior change. The findings suggest that education campaigns alone are insufficient and need to be paired with practical infrastructure and policy changes to reduce plastic use.

2023 Sustainability 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Predicting green product consumption using theory of planned behavior and reasoned action

Researchers applied the theory of planned behavior to investigate how environmental awareness and social influence predict consumer intentions to use reusable bags, finding that these factors significantly shape green purchasing behavior in a plastic waste reduction context.

2020 Management Science Letters 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Public knowledge of microplastics for pro-environmental behavior

Researchers analyzed public knowledge of microplastics and its relationship to pro-environmental behavior, finding that because microplastics are invisible to the naked eye, public perception depends entirely on external information sources rather than direct experience, with implications for environmental communication strategies.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Do Social Media Posts Influence Consumption Behavior towards Plastic Pollution?

Researchers surveyed 213 individuals to assess how social media posts influence consumer behavior toward plastic pollution, finding that information campaigns on social media can shift attitudes and reduce plastic consumption intentions.

2021 Sustainability 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Using an extended model of the reasoned action approach to explore individual behavioral intentions regarding litter and plastic pollution prevention in a developing country

This study explored what motivates people in Ghana to prevent littering and plastic pollution, using a behavioral psychology framework. Researchers found that personal attitudes and moral beliefs were the strongest predictors of people's intentions to reduce littering, suggesting that public campaigns targeting these factors could be most effective.

2024 Frontiers in Psychology 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of a New Conceptual Model: Consumers’ Purchase Intention towards Eco-friendly Bags

This paper is not about microplastics; it proposes a consumer behavior model to understand factors influencing purchase intentions toward eco-friendly bags as a plastic reduction strategy.

2023 International Journal of Management Technology and Social Sciences 7 citations