Using Nonpecuniary Strategies to Influence Behavior: Evidence from a Large-Scale Field Experiment
2013; The MIT Press; Volume: 95; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1162/rest_a_00344
ISSN1530-9142
AutoresPaul J. Ferraro, Michael Price,
Tópico(s)Environmental Education and Sustainability
ResumoPolicymakers are increasingly using norm-based messages to influence individual decision-making.We partner with a metropolitan water utility to implement a natural field experiment examining the effect of such messages on residential water demand.The data, drawn from more than 100,000 households, indicate that social comparison messages had a greater influence on behavior than simple pro-social messages or technical information alone.Moreover, our data suggest social comparison messages are most effective among households identified as the least price sensitive: high-users.Yet the effectiveness of such messages wanes over time.Our results thus highlight important complementarities between pecuniary and non-pecuniary strategies.
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