Effects of Informational Prompts on Energy Conservation in College Classrooms

A multiple-baseline design was used with 2 target classroom groups of 28 and 27 Ss in a study to reduce electrical energy waste. A dittoed letter, signed by a faculty member, was sent to each professor in the prompt condition. In the letter, the professor was informed that he or she taught prior to an unscheduled period and was asked to turn off lights following the class. After the prompt, the percentage of rooms with lights turned off increased by 13 and 6% in each target group. A further analysis of the 10 classrooms that had the lowest baseline rates of turning lights off indicated a 30% increase after the prompt. (10 ref)