Aufsatz
Effectiveness and context dependency of social norm interventions: five field experiments on nudging pro-environmental and pro-social behavior
Abstract
Social norm interventions hold the potential to change people’s behavior. Five field experiments (N = 1,163) examined the effects of a simple and easily realizable social norm nudge based on the social media format “Be like Bill.” The nudge consisted of a stick figure named Toni that communicated descriptive and injunctive norms regarding pro-environmental or pro-social behaviors. Nudge conditions were compared to no-intervention control conditions. Experiment 1 (N = 179) focused on paper towel consumption in a women’s restroom at a German university. The nudge condition used less paper towels than the control condition, d = 0.48. Experiment 2 (N = 183) replicated this result (d = 0.32) in a more diverse setting of a women’s restroom at a German Christmas market. Experiment 3 (N = 250) examined differences in the effects of prescriptive (i.e., ‘do-norm’) versus proscriptive (i.e., ‘do not-norm’) social norms on paper towel consumption again in a university women’s restroom. The effectiveness of both social norm nudge conditions was shown in comparison to the control condition (d = 0.46; d = 0.40), while the prescriptive and proscriptive social norm manipulations did not differ. Experiment 4 (N = 206) applied the nudging approach to the use of plastic lids in a coffee shop, where no effect was found. Finally, Experiment 5 (N = 345) focused on the pro-social behavior of mask wearing in a bakery toward the end of the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions in Germany. In the nudge condition, more visitors put on face masks compared to the control group, d = 0.39. Limitations and contextual factors regarding the applicability of our social norm nudge are discussed.
Sponsorship
Gefördert durch den Publikationsfonds der Universität KasselCitation
@article{doi:10.17170/kobra-2024071910541,
author={Mundt, Daria and Batzke, Marlene Clara Lucia and Bläsing, Thanee Madlen and Gomera Deaño, Sandro and Helfers, Anna},
title={Effectiveness and context dependency of social norm interventions: five field experiments on nudging pro-environmental and pro-social behavior},
journal={Frontiers in Psychology},
year={2024}
}
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<resource xsi:schemaLocation="http://datacite.org/schema/kernel-2.2 http://schema.datacite.org/meta/kernel-2.2/metadata.xsd"> 2024-07-19T11:53:17Z 2024-07-19T11:53:17Z 2024-06-26 doi:10.17170/kobra-2024071910541 http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/15927 Gefördert durch den Publikationsfonds der Universität Kassel eng Namensnennung 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ behavioral change social norms field experiment waste reduction injunctive norm descriptive norm proscriptive norm prescriptive norm 150 Effectiveness and context dependency of social norm interventions: five field experiments on nudging pro-environmental and pro-social behavior Aufsatz Social norm interventions hold the potential to change people’s behavior. Five field experiments (N = 1,163) examined the effects of a simple and easily realizable social norm nudge based on the social media format “Be like Bill.” The nudge consisted of a stick figure named Toni that communicated descriptive and injunctive norms regarding pro-environmental or pro-social behaviors. Nudge conditions were compared to no-intervention control conditions. Experiment 1 (N = 179) focused on paper towel consumption in a women’s restroom at a German university. The nudge condition used less paper towels than the control condition, d = 0.48. Experiment 2 (N = 183) replicated this result (d = 0.32) in a more diverse setting of a women’s restroom at a German Christmas market. Experiment 3 (N = 250) examined differences in the effects of prescriptive (i.e., ‘do-norm’) versus proscriptive (i.e., ‘do not-norm’) social norms on paper towel consumption again in a university women’s restroom. The effectiveness of both social norm nudge conditions was shown in comparison to the control condition (d = 0.46; d = 0.40), while the prescriptive and proscriptive social norm manipulations did not differ. Experiment 4 (N = 206) applied the nudging approach to the use of plastic lids in a coffee shop, where no effect was found. Finally, Experiment 5 (N = 345) focused on the pro-social behavior of mask wearing in a bakery toward the end of the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions in Germany. In the nudge condition, more visitors put on face masks compared to the control group, d = 0.39. Limitations and contextual factors regarding the applicability of our social norm nudge are discussed. open access Mundt, Daria Batzke, Marlene Clara Lucia Bläsing, Thanee Madlen Gomera Deaño, Sandro Helfers, Anna 13 Seiten doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1392296 Verhaltensmodifikation Soziale Norm Feldversuch Nachhaltigkeit Nudge Verbraucherverhalten publishedVersion eissn:1664-1078 Frontiers in Psychology Volume 15 false 1392296 </resource>
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