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. 2023 Apr 26;18(4):e0284272.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284272. eCollection 2023.

A zero-cost attention-based approach to promote cleaner streets: A Signal Detection Theory approach in Parisian streets

Rita Abdel Sater  1 , Mathilde Mus  1 , Valentin Wyart  1 , Coralie Chevallier  1
Affiliations

A zero-cost attention-based approach to promote cleaner streets: A Signal Detection Theory approach in Parisian streets

Rita Abdel Sater et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

In an effort to inform interventions targeting littering behaviour, we estimate how much a change in trash-bag colour increases trash can visibility in Paris. To that end, we applied standard Signal Detection techniques to test how much changing trash-bag colour affects subjects' trash can detection rates. In three pre-registered studies, we found that changing trash bag colour from grey to either red, green or blue considerably increases the perception of bins in British (tourist) and Parisian (resident) samples. We found that changing the bag colour from grey to blue increased visibility the most.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. An example of one of the 30,000 trash bins deployed in Paris since 2013, designed to blend in with the urban space.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Example of a displayed image in the three possible conditions.
A. Original image, grey-bag condition. B. Photoshopped image, red-bag condition. C. Photoshopped image, no-bin condition.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Example of a displayed image in studies 2.A and 2.B.
A. Modified photograph in the green-bag condition. B. Modified photograph in the blue-bag condition.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Interaction graph showing the change in detectability when a bin is coloured, in studies 1 and 2.
Mean and 95% confidence interval.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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