An Extended Pre-testing Protocol in the Lead-up to Field Studies

Abstract

To establish whether interventions ultimately change behavior, they are best tested in the field. However, there is no clear consensus on how to pre-select such interventions. To address this, we propose an extended pre-testing protocol in the lead-up to field studies. This extended protocol combines different approaches by (1) distinguishing between (a) an intervention triggering the corresponding theoretical construct, (b) the construct being linked to behavioral intentions, (c) the intervention affecting behavioral intentions; and (2) accounting for emotional reactions to intervention materials. We illustrate the protocol in an online experiment ( N = 636) focusing on the example behavior of opting out of daily hotel room cleans—a behavior which can help reduce the environmental footprint of tourism. The results illustrate the value of the extended pre-testing protocol in tourism and hospitality research and beyond. It increases understanding of underlying intervention mechanisms and ensures interventions are suitable for the field.