【Paper】
Behavioral Changes from Stimulating Environmentally Conscious Actions in an Office Without Strong Environmental Consciousness
Shuangyu Xie*, Kohji Hayase*, Yoshinobu Iyama*, Sayo Kabetani**, Jaeboon Kim* and Hoando Jong*
* Graduate School of Biosphere Sciences, Hiroshima University
** Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University
† Correspondence should be addressed to Kohji Hayase:
Graduate School of Biosphere Sciences, Hiroshima University
（1-7-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8521 Japan）

Abstract
Actual conditions of environmental balance（input and output）of an office, which was regarded as having no strong environmental consciousness, were measured continuously over a period of eight years（1995-2002）. Following field measurements, we analyzed and clarified effects of some behavioral analysis methods, such as prompting and feedback, on behavioral changes of office members to environmentally conscious actions. By installment of boxes for paper that was printed on a single side, much was used. Nevertheless, recycled paper was seldom purchased. Furthermore, waste paper was seldom classified and was not thought of as a recoverable resource. Instead, it was cast away as a combustible. Effects of installing the boxes for half-used paper on behavioral changes of office members to use single-sided paper disappeared over three years because of the change in office members and the office arrangement. The method of real time feedback together with detailed instructions on environmentally concerned actions caused behavioral changes in use of copy machines, printers, and desktop computers, thereby reducing electricity consumption. On the other hand, the electricity that was consumed by laptop computers increased. Consequently, our findings showed the following tendency: it is easier to reduce electricity consumption by changing the methods of use of infrequently used business machines, such as copy machines, printers and desktop computers than those of frequently used equipment, such as laptop computers.

Key words: behavioral changes, prompting, feedback, field experiment