Abstract
Reviewed by Jeffrey Noethe, Ph.D.
In The Power of Sustainable Thinking, Bob Doppelt looks at environmental reform through the lens of human behavior change, and he does so at three levels: changing self, motivating others, and motivating groups. He accomplishes this goal primarily by applying the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), which has its origins in addiction behavior change (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983).
The TTM includes five stages: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance; but Doppelt chooses to rename these stages as disinterest, deliberation, design, doing, and defending. He calls this “the 5-D staged approach to change.” For those who may be unfamiliar with either model, I will offer a quick summary.
People in the disinterest stage (precontemplation) either lack awareness of the problem behavior or lack desire to change in the foreseeable future. Once awareness of the problem exists and there is serious consideration of future change, people move into the deliberation stage (contemplation). The design stage (preparation) is for people who have decided to make a change in the near future, and they may even be taking small steps toward the larger behavior change ahead. When they finally make that larger change, they move into the doing stage (action), and once they have demonstrated consistent change for at least 6 months, they are in the defending stage (maintenance). It is important to note that these stages are not purely linear. Relapse and regression are expected components of long-term progress.
Choosing the TTM makes sense on several levels. First, it is a well-established and widely respected model for change. Second, the TTM was developed around addiction issues, and it can be argued that unsustainable lifestyles involve multiple addictive behaviors. To a casual observer, much of humanity appears to be addicted to automobiles, electricity, disposable products, fossil fuels, packaging materials, and a thousand other things. Third, the TTM offers a wealth of research-based insights and strategies regarding change processes, many of which may generalize to environmental behavior change.
Doppelt starts his book by describing the “defining moments” of human history, those that forced us to adapt to new conditions through “deep shifts in thinking, perception and behaviour” (p. 3). The alternative to adaptation is failure, collapse, and suffering. He presents evidence that we are currently facing one of these defining moments, and although change is difficult and there is no certainty of success, he warns that a lack of response will just as surely define our future. Therefore, Doppelt sees this current moment in history as both opportunity and responsibility.
Doppelt goes on to explore the significance and nature of human thinking, choice, and behavior. He emphasizes the role of cultural worldviews or frames (i.e., the shared ways a culture of people understands the world), which are critical in helping us navigate life but can also produce blind spots as our world changes. The primary blind spot of Western culture is thinking that our take-make-waste economic system is benign, sustainable, and unstoppable regardless of population size. Doppelt offers an alternative worldview that emphasizes true sustainability for social systems and a borrow-use-return economic model. The challenge is putting this alternative worldview in place.
To help us understand why change is so difficult, Doppelt looks at ten “sustainability thinking blunders,” similar to the thinking errors explored by cognitive psychology that perpetuate our old worldviews and addictions. One of these blunders is the common notion (i.e., excuse) that “technology can save us,” which ignores the fact that technology is reactive and only serves the prevailing values and priorities of a people. Without a shift in worldview, technology by itself will do nothing. It cannot lead the way. Another blunder is the notion that “less bad is good enough,” which ignores the scale of the problems we now face with over six billion people on the planet. After describing these ten blunders in human thinking, Doppelt reassures us that change is still possible, because humanity also has many positive qualities (kindness, compassion, a willingness to make sacrifices, etc.) that can be nurtured and reinforced.
In Part II of his book, Doppelt introduces his change model by first exploring how we think. By once again using the theories and insights of cognitive psychology, he goes into greater depth about how our mental frames (i.e., beliefs, assumptions, and automatic thoughts) generate our choices and behaviors. During this exploration, he attempts to engage the reader in a self-reflective process to identify his or her own frames. Doppelt then moves into a thorough exploration of how we change, using the 5-D model. He summarizes each stage, describes the keys to successful change, and lists the change mechanisms that are relevant along the way. I found his summaries to be quite succinct and accessible, and his list of change mechanisms reflected everything I would have expected from a TTM-based approach.
If Doppelt had stopped after his sixth chapter, the book would have been interesting but of little practical value. Fortunately, he pushes forward and tackles the daunting task of applying his model to three specific levels of change: changing self, motivating others, and motivating groups. This is where the theories are brought to life. Each level of change receives its own chapter, which delves into the specific challenges and strategies unique to that level. He also addresses the complex ethical and moral dilemmas that we are likely to face along the path of change.
My only concern with Doppelt’s work is about the value of renaming the stages of the TTM. I admit that I’ve never found the term “precontemplative” to be very user-friendly, and “disinterest” is an excellent alternative, but the other substitutions do not seem as helpful. Having five “D” words sounds nice, but it seems that some of them were chosen for their first letter rather than their clarity or appropriateness. These substitutions also have the effect of distancing the 5-D model, which is relatively unknown, from the greater credibility and respect associated with the TTM. For a topic such as environmental behavior change, which already faces an uphill struggle, not taking full advantage of the TTM’s reputation seems wasteful. Finally, considering the lack of significant modifications to the TTM, I’m not sure we need another model cluttering the landscape.
Doppelt is the not the first person to apply the TTM to environmental behavior change, but through The Power of Sustainable Thinking, he has made this application more accessible than ever before. He has created a valuable reference for individuals or groups seeking to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their efforts, interventions, and programs. For those willing to invest the time and energy, I believe that the TTM/5-D model holds great potential for facilitating environmental behavior change. However, I worry that certain thinking errors may prevent people from making this investment, whether they manifest as blind optimism (“My program will work!”) or misguided pessimism (“Change is not possible.”). I worry that research-based tools such as the TTM rarely get into the hands of the people who need them most, and I hope this book contributes to a growing momentum that will prove my worries unfounded.