Greta image compliance

You may know about the theory of eye image compliance. If you see a piece of paper with a pair of eyes on it is posted above the coffee machine at work, you are more likely to pay the requisite 50 cents for your cup of coffee rather than just walking away like a common coffee thief. In sum, people become more aware of their behavior when they feel they are being “watched” – even if they aren’t literally being watched.

Now, there is Greta image compliance.

A new trend in offices in Israel involves posting a scowling image of climate activist Greta Thunberg next to the plastic cups and single use utensils in order to encourage more environmentally-friendly choices. Her image is now showing up, often in hilarious ways, next to elevators, paper towel dispensers, and copy machines.

On one hand, this could be seen as trivializing an important issue; however, although its effect has not been formally studied yet, one can see how this light-hearted approach could be more effective than soberly asking people to “think twice” about their behavior or giving them a bunch of facts about how bad plastic is for the environment.