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‘LIVY’ is an innovative app that I developed as part of my bachelor's thesis. Based on behavioural psychology principles, it motivates people to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle. It serves as a guide for users by offering concrete suggestions for improving sustainable behaviour in everyday life. Coupled with the opportunity to connect with like-minded people, the topic of sustainability becomes a personal concern and the willingness to act is increased. The aim of the app is to dispel the feeling of helplessness and resignation in our society; to inspire people to actively shape a sustainable future.
Stop the cognitive Dissonance
Despite alarming data on climate change, the willingness to act sustainably is only increasing slightly. Climate activists appeal on an emotional level with images of destruction and gloomy prospects for the future. However, without realistic, concrete proposals for action, this type of communication leads to helplessness and ultimately apathy.
Shedding old behaviours is a lengthy neuronal process, which is made even more difficult by the capitalist infrastructure of our society. Instead of taking action, our psyche comes up with justifications to escape the pressure of an identity conflict and maintain a positive self-image.
During my research phase, I conducted an in-depth study on behavioural psychology, climate communication, and sustainable habits. Additionally, I designed a survey to examine behaviours related to nutrition, mobility, and consumption, as well as participants' attitudes toward climate change. The survey included 100 participants.
29% of the participants rated their sense of self-efficacy as low to non-existent
67% of the participants feel moderately to not at all affected by climate change in their immediate environment.
The topic of climate change needs to be communicated as a personal concern, as a tangible change, with a focus on positive future prospects.
83% of the participants would like to make their diet more sustainable, and 60% of those would be willing to reduce their consumption of animal products.
"Your habits shape your identity, and your identity shapes your habits." - JAMES CLEAR
Offering simple steps, clear action plans, and visualizing the real impact on the carbon footprint helps individuals replace old habits with new, sustainable ones. Self-image influences behavior, and in turn, behavior significantly shapes self-image. The more we incorporate sustainable actions into our daily routines, the more they become a personal priority.
Similar to other habit tracker apps, users can select sustainable habits as ‘challenges’. Studies show that it takes an average of 66 days to establish a new habit. However, in order to start small and slowly acclimatise users to the change, a one-week introductory phase is offered.
Instead of focussing on climate change dystopias and feelings of guilt, the branding radiates positive support. Successes are made visible, e.g. the amount of CO2 emissions prevented. Information and challenges are formulated in a motivating and identity-related way, e.g. ‘I care about animal welfare’ instead of ‘Stop animal cruelty’. The app emphasises that everyone can contribute to sustainability, not only to prevent future disasters, but also to live in harmony with personal values.
The aim of this app is not to tell people that their consumer behaviour alone is responsible for preventing climate change. But rather to reinforce the feeling that we can make a difference by taking action. The more we align our behaviour with our values, the more motivated we are to stand up politically for our convictions. To this end, certain challenges in the app would be linked to political actions, for example in combination with petitions.
