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Changing Pro-environmental Behavior: Evidence from (Un)Successful Intervention Studies

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 49993

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Cameron Brick

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Guest Editor

Department of Social Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129 B, 1018 WT Amsterdam, Netherlands
Interests: social influence; communication; decision making; climate change; pro-environmental behavior; meta-science

Dr. Florian Lange

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Behavioral Engineering Group, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Naamsestraat 69, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Interests: pro-environmental behavior; behavior change; executive functioning; self-control; open science

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We welcome submissions for a Special Issue of Sustainability on 'Changing Pro-Environmental Behavior: Evidence From (Un)Successful Intervention Studies'. Sustainability is a peer-reviewed international journal (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability/about) published monthly by MDPI, since 2009 (ISSN 2071-1050), impact factor 2.6 (2018).

We primarily seek reports of interventions on behaviors that impact the natural environment, such as water or energy use, consumption, recycling, transportation, diet, investments, political behavior and activism, or other behaviors. Outcomes similar to behavior such as intentions will also be considered. Intervention studies should evaluate the effectiveness of behavior change techniques such as persuasive messages, changes to social context, nudging, incentives such as price, etc. The intervention results can be null, mixed, or positive. Replication studies are explicitly encouraged. We welcome papers that might be difficult to publish in standard environmental psychology outlets. Empirical papers with online, laboratory, or particularly field studies are welcome. Studies on potential side effects of interventions (e.g., spillover, rebound) or methodological challenges of intervention studies and systematic reviews and meta-analyses on intervention effects will also be considered. If you are uncertain about whether your paper fits into the scope of this special issue, please contact the guest editors.

Climate change and other environmental problems require societal and individual change, and those changes will be most successful when interventions and policies are informed by a solid understanding of what causes those behaviors. Intervention studies may further this understanding by studying the causal determinants of pro-environmental behavior through (quasi-)experimental manipulation. In addition, intervention studies are often relevant to organizational and governmental projects, in particular when studies examine the behavioral context. It is critical to learn which intervention components are effective across what contexts, but replication or null-findings studies may be difficult to publish in traditional outlets.

As part of the shift away from false-positive research (Simmons et al., 2011) and towards greater replicability and reproducibility (Munafò et al., 2017), submissions will be reviewed based on their methods and appropriate interpretation rather than on subjective novelty or positive findings. A secondary benefit of this approach is reducing a potential file-drawer problem in research on pro-environmental behavior. By offering a platform for otherwise unpublished intervention reports, we wish to contribute to unbiased research literature that can form the basis for more informative meta-analyses and reviews. Regardless of the results, authors are requested to interpret their findings with relation to earlier work and to provide advice for future research, communication, and/or corporate or public policy.

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability/apc: Accepted articles will be charged 1800 CHF for gold open access.

https://www.mdpi.com/about/ioap: Check if your institution gets a 10% discount.

We look forward to receiving your submission by 15 December, 2020.

Cameron Brick [email protected]

Florian Lange [email protected]

Dr. Florian Lange
Dr. Cameron Brick
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

interventions
pro-environmental behavior
behavior change
persuasive communication
social psychology
environmental psychology
consumer behavior
organizational behavior
environmental education
applied behavior analysis
open science

Published Papers (13 papers)

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Editorial

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5 pages, 518 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Changing Pro-Environmental Behavior: Evidence from (Un)Successful Intervention Studies

by Florian Lange and Cameron Brick

Sustainability 2021, 13(14), 7748; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147748 - 12 Jul 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3213

Abstract

Human behavior is the main driver of environmental degradation and climate change [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changing Pro-environmental Behavior: Evidence from (Un)Successful Intervention Studies)

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Research

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17 pages, 1426 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dynamic Norms and Food Choice: Reflections on a Failure of Minority Norm Information to Influence Motivation to Reduce Meat Consumption

by Alaa Aldoh, Paul Sparks and Peter R. Harris

Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8315; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158315 - 26 Jul 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4909

Abstract

Recent research in the US shows the potential of providing information about minority norms that are increasing on positively influencing interest and engagement in desired behaviours. Although these are promising findings, there is little published research replicating or testing this effect outside the US. The study reported here is a direct replication of Sparkman and Walton’s (2017) research. We explored the effects of different kinds of normative information, particularly information about increasing (referred to as ‘dynamic’ or ‘trending’) minority norms, on interest in reducing meat consumption, attitudes toward reducing meat consumption, intentions to reduce meat consumption, and expectations to do so. Following pilot work (n = 197), we used a double-blind online study with three conditions: dynamic norm (n = 276), static norm (n = 284), and no norm (n = 286). The sample consisted of British people, with ages ranging from 18 to 79 (M_age = 37.21, SD_age = 13.58; 56.38% female). There was no effect of dynamic norm information on any outcomes, including predictions about future meat consumption norms. Exploratory analyses suggest that political position and gender were associated with meat consumption outcomes. The findings are discussed in relation to conditions under which dynamic normative information may be successful in influencing motivation to engage in desired behaviours, and to possible improvements in research design. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changing Pro-environmental Behavior: Evidence from (Un)Successful Intervention Studies)

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20 pages, 832 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Can Reflective Diary-Writing Increase Sufficiency-Oriented Consumption? A Longitudinal Intervention Addressing the Role of Basic Psychological Needs, Subjective Well-Being, and Time Affluence

by Josephine Tröger, Marlis C. Wullenkord, Clara Barthels and Rubina Steller

Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4885; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094885 - 27 Apr 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4276

Abstract

Sufficiency is a sustainability strategy aiming for (1) a decrease in absolute resource consumption on individual and societal levels, and (2) for socio-ecological justice and the fair distribution of costs and benefits of resource use to meet every human’s basic needs. This study examined a longitudinal intervention to foster individual sufficiency orientation (i.e., a multidimensional construct including both attitudes towards the sufficiency sustainability strategy and corresponding behavioral intentions). We recruited N = 252 participants who participated in a one-week reflective diary-intervention to increase sufficiency orientation in everyday life and assessed sufficiency orientation, basic psychological need satisfaction, self-reflection, subjective well-being, and time affluence before (T1), directly after (T2), and four weeks after the intervention (T3). Contrary to our predictions, there was no significant difference between the experimental and the control group. Sufficiency orientation increased across groups. Basic psychological need satisfaction was the strongest predictor of sufficiency orientation. There were positive relations with subjective well-being. Targeting basic psychological need satisfaction, as a potential underlying driver of sufficiency orientation, seems to be a promising avenue for designing interventions. Employing a need-based, humanistic approach to designing psychological interventions is in line with the aims of sufficiency to meet every human’s basic needs, in a socio-ecologically just world. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changing Pro-environmental Behavior: Evidence from (Un)Successful Intervention Studies)

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24 pages, 3285 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Love Food, Hate Waste? Ambivalence towards Food Fosters People’s Willingness to Waste Food

by Benjamin Buttlar, Lars Löwenstein, Marie-Sophie Geske, Heike Ahlmer and Eva Walther

Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3971; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073971 - 02 Apr 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 5249

Abstract

Food waste is the origin of major social and environmental issues. In industrial societies, domestic households are the biggest contributors to this problem. But why do people waste food although they buy and value it? Answering this question is mandatory to design effective interventions against food waste. So far, however, many interventions have not been based on theoretical knowledge. Integrating food waste literature and ambivalence research, we propose that domestic food waste can be understood via the concept of ambivalence—the simultaneous presence of positive and negative associations towards the same attitude object. In support of this notion, we demonstrated in three pre-registered experiments that people experienced ambivalence towards non-perishable food products with expired best before dates. The experience of ambivalence was in turn associated with an increased willingness to waste food. However, two informational interventions aiming to prevent people from experiencing ambivalence did not work as intended (Experiment 3). We hope that the outlined conceptualization inspires theory-driven research on why and when people dispose of food and on how to design effective interventions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changing Pro-environmental Behavior: Evidence from (Un)Successful Intervention Studies)

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17 pages, 2413 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Engaging People with Energy Efficiency: A Randomised Controlled Trial Testing the Effects of Thermal Imaging Visuals in a Letter Communication

by Julie Goodhew, Sabine Pahl, Katy King, Michael Sanders, Paul Elliott, Matthew Fox, Christine Boomsma and Steve Goodhew

Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3543; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063543 - 23 Mar 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2176

Abstract

The study tested the effect of adding visualisations to a communication to engage householders with an energy efficiency programme. External wall insulation is an appropriate way of insulating homes, yet take-up is low. Householders may be unaware of the heat loss from uninsulated walls. In earlier research, seeing thermal images prompted the uptake of simple energy efficiency actions amongst householders. Thermal images were added to a standard letter to visualise heat transfer from a home before and after external wall insulation had been installed. A randomised controlled trial tested three types of letter (standard, standard plus thermal image showing problem, standard plus thermal images showing problem and solution) in 5483 UK households. The target outcome was the rate of telephone enquiries after exposure to the letters. Enquiry rates were low (1.6%) and did not differ between letter type. We discuss the null effect in relation to the target action (external wall insulation), the manner of presentation of the visuals (mass communication, letter through the door) and the ingredients of a persuasive intervention. Findings suggest that taking a key ingredient from an intervention and applying it in a different context may result in the loss of its impact. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changing Pro-environmental Behavior: Evidence from (Un)Successful Intervention Studies)

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13 pages, 2463 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social Norms Based Eco-Feedback for Household Water Consumption

by Ukasha Ramli

Sustainability 2021, 13(5), 2796; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052796 - 05 Mar 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2600

Abstract

Physical water scarcity is a growing threat to people’s lives around the world. Non-pecuniary interventions that encourage water conservation amongst households are an effective tool to promote sustainable consumption. In a randomised field experiment on 3461 UK households, a social norms based eco-feedback intervention was found to reduce water consumption by around 5.43 L a day or by 1.8% over 29 months. This effect did not persist for the 10 months after the intervention was stopped suggesting a lack of habit formation. Unlike previous studies, households with low consumption at baseline reduced their consumption the most, while high consumers did not. Heterogeneity was also found across quantile treatment effects, where households in the top and bottom quantiles increased their consumption. These results further contribute to the growing evidence on the effectiveness of combining social norms and eco-feedback as an intervention for conservation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changing Pro-environmental Behavior: Evidence from (Un)Successful Intervention Studies)

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18 pages, 1489 KiB

Open AccessArticle

When Does Being Watched Change Pro-Environmental Behaviors in the Laboratory?

by Cameron Brick and David K. Sherman

Sustainability 2021, 13(5), 2766; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052766 - 04 Mar 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2983

Abstract

Pro-environmental behaviors such as conserving water, reducing flights, or purchasing energy-efficient appliances are subject to social pressures. The influence of norms on behavior is widely studied, but it is less clear which social identities (e.g., political ideology; being an environmentalist) and contextual factors lead individuals to pursue or avoid pro-environmental behaviors. The visibility of behaviors—whether an action can be observed by others—has attracted wide research attention in psychology, business, and economics for theoretical and practical reasons. This paper includes three experiments on visibility, total N = 735 (U.S. university students). There were no effects of visibility on “green” purchases, donation to a conservation organization, or willingness to sign up for a water-reducing student meal plan; these null effects are consistent with a recent Registered Report. Additional predictors are also modeled, such as Openness and the need for status. It remains likely that being observed by certain audiences will affect certain pro-environmental behaviors in certain contexts. The discussion centers on methodological and conceptual issues contributing to null effects and to how future research can usefully explore individual difference moderators, type of audience, and types of pro-environmental behavior that influence when visibility might change conservation behaviors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changing Pro-environmental Behavior: Evidence from (Un)Successful Intervention Studies)

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28 pages, 3535 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The ABC’s of Ecological and Nutrition Labels. The Impact of Label Theme and Complexity on the Environmental Footprint of Online Grocery Choices

by Lotte Hallez, Yara Qutteina, Filip Boen and Tim Smits

Sustainability 2021, 13(5), 2474; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052474 - 25 Feb 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4558

Abstract

Current food production and consumption patterns pose serious threats to our global environment. The goal of the current research is to investigate whether the presence of specific informational cues, i.e., ecological labels and nutrition labels, can improve the environmental impact of food choices. Two online experiments were carried out in which young adults were asked to select products in a grocery shop setting, and to indicate quantities (in grams) for a hypothetical one-person meal. In the first experiment (N = 142), we varied the theme (sustainability vs. nutrition vs. control) of the labels alongside the products. The labels displayed a summarized product score (i.e., the products’ actual nutri-score), but this was either presented as the nutritional score or as the ecological score of that product. In the second experiment (N = 250), we again varied this label theme as well as the level of complexity, namely interpretative (i.e., simple) vs. reductive (i.e., detailed). While the results of the first experiment revealed no impact of the labels, the results of the second experiment suggest that labels with a sustainability theme can influence young adults to compose a more sustainable meal with less meat, and with a lower carbon and blue water footprint. The labels’ level of complexity did not impact the different eating outcomes. In conclusion, while these results point to the potential use of labels with a sustainability theme, it is important to note that the results did not consistently replicate across studies and analyses and should therefore be interpreted with caution. A possible explanation for the effect of eco-themed labels might be that they trigger pro-environmental objectives during decision-making, and prime people to consider the sustainability of their food choices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changing Pro-environmental Behavior: Evidence from (Un)Successful Intervention Studies)

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9 pages, 993 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Reducing Plastic Bag Use Through Prosocial Incentives

by Florian Lange, Laurens De Weerdt and Laurent Verlinden

Sustainability 2021, 13(5), 2421; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052421 - 24 Feb 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3801

Abstract

While excessive plastic use has severe ecological consequences, the distant nature of these consequences may limit their effect on individual plastic use behavior. One possibility to address this problem is to link plastic use behavior to more direct consequences. Pro-environmental behavior researchers adopting this approach typically try to change people’s behavior by providing them with monetary incentives. Here, we pursued an alternative strategy by linking pro-environmental behavior to prosocial incentives. Takeaway customers of a fast food restaurant were informed that, for every unused plastic bag, a small donation would be made to a charitable organization. In comparison to baseline and control conditions, the likelihood of using a restaurant-provided plastic bag was more than halved when plastic-bag refusal led to such prosocial incentives. In addition, we tested whether the effectiveness of prosocial incentives depended on their size and on the type of organization (prosocial vs. environmental) receiving the incentive. While these latter analyses revealed some promising trends, they did not allow for definitive conclusions about the effect of these parameters. Hence, while our field experiment provides support for the general effectiveness of prosocial incentives, more research is needed to determine which prosocial incentives are most effective in shaping plastic bag use and other environmentally relevant behaviors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changing Pro-environmental Behavior: Evidence from (Un)Successful Intervention Studies)

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10 pages, 1036 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Unpacking Plastic: Investigating Plastic Related Ambivalence

by Lena Hahn, Benjamin Buttlar and Eva Walther

Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 2186; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042186 - 18 Feb 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2658

Abstract

Many people are aware of the negative consequences of plastic use on the environment. Nevertheless, they use plastic due to its functionality. In the present paper, we hypothesized that this leads to the experience of ambivalence—the simultaneous existence of positive and negative evaluations of plastic. In two studies, we found that participants showed greater ambivalence toward plastic packed food than unpacked food. Moreover, they rated plastic packed food less favorably than unpacked food in response evaluations. In Study 2, we tested whether one-sided (only positive vs. only negative) information interventions could effectively influence ambivalence. Results showed that ambivalence is resistant to (social) influence. Directions for future research were discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changing Pro-environmental Behavior: Evidence from (Un)Successful Intervention Studies)

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28 pages, 5186 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Is an Appeal Enough? The Limited Impact of Financial, Environmental, and Communal Appeals in Promoting Involvement in Community Environmental Initiatives

by Daniel Sloot, Lise Jans and Linda Steg

Sustainability 2021, 13(3), 1085; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031085 - 21 Jan 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2581

Abstract

Community environmental initiatives are set up by community members to promote pro-environmental behaviours in their community. Community members involved in these initiatives are likely to behave more pro-environmentally. Yet, the question remains how to get community members involved. Previous findings suggest stronger environmental and communal, but not financial, motives promote people’s involvement in community environmental initiatives. The present paper examines whether appeals to such environmental or communal motives can promote involvement more than appeals to financial motives or no appeals. Three experimental studies revealed that environmental and communal appeals did not promote initiative involvement more than financial appeals or no appeals. Moreover, a combined environmental and communal appeal was not more effective than single appeals. Furthermore, in a field study examining 167 existing community energy initiatives, we found no relationship between the emphasis in flyers on financial, environmental, and communal benefits of initiative involvement and the proportion of community members involved in these initiatives. These findings suggest appeals may not be enough to promote initiative involvement. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changing Pro-environmental Behavior: Evidence from (Un)Successful Intervention Studies)

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15 pages, 899 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ego or Eco? Neither Ecological nor Egoistic Appeals of Persuasive Climate Change Messages Impacted Pro-Environmental Behavior

by Jana Sophie Kesenheimer and Tobias Greitemeyer

Sustainability 2020, 12(23), 10064; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122310064 - 02 Dec 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4606

Abstract

Based on the ‘Inclusion Model of Environmental Concern’, we tested whether daily messaging intervention increases participants’ pro-environmental behavior (PEB). In a two (time: pre vs. post, repeated measure) × three (condition: egoistic appeals, ecological appeals, control group) experimental design, two hundred and eighteen individuals received either daily messages containing egoistic appeals for action to prevent climate change (e.g., preventing personal consequences of released diseases in melting arctic ice), ecological appeals (e.g., ecological consequences of melting glaciers), or no messages (control). PEB was assessed via self-reports and donations to an environmental organization. Neither of the appeals had an effect on the two dependent measures. Irrespective of experimental conditions, self-reported PEB was higher in the post- compared with the pre-test. Overall, the present results do not provide support for the effectiveness of a daily messaging technique. Instead, it appears that ‘being observed’ is the more effective ‘intervention’. Implications for how to foster PEB are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changing Pro-environmental Behavior: Evidence from (Un)Successful Intervention Studies)

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Review

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19 pages, 1337 KiB

Open AccessReview

The State of Experimental Research on Community Interventions to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions—A Systematic Review

by Anthony Biglan, Andrew C. Bonner, Magnus Johansson, Jessica L. Ghai, Mark J. Van Ryzin, Tiffany L. Dubuc, Holly A. Seniuk, Julia H. Fiebig and Lisa W. Coyne

Sustainability 2020, 12(18), 7593; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187593 - 15 Sep 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3771

Abstract

This paper reviews research on community efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We conducted a systematic search of the relevant literature, and supplemented our findings with an analysis of review papers previously published on the topic. The results indicate that there have been no peer-reviewed experimental evaluations of community-wide interventions to reduce greenhouse gases involving electricity, refrigeration, or food. The lack of findings limits the conclusions which can be made about the efficacy of these efforts. As a result, we are not accumulating effective interventions, and some communities may be implementing strategies that are not effective. We advocate for the funding of experimental evaluations of multi-sector community interventions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Such interventions would attempt to engage every sector of the community in identifying and implementing policies and practices to reduce emissions. Comprehensive multi-sector interventions are likely to have synergistic effects, such that the total impact is greater than the sum of the impact of the individual components. We describe the value of interrupted time-series designs as an alternative to randomized trials, because these designs confer particular advantages for the evaluation of strategies in entire communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changing Pro-environmental Behavior: Evidence from (Un)Successful Intervention Studies)

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