Using Social Norms to Reduce Household Energy Consumption

Cases
Schultz P. W., Nolan J. M., Cialdini R. B., Goldstein N. J., Griskevicius Vladas (2007). The Constructive, Destructive, and Reconstructive Power of Social Norms. Psychological Science, 18(5), 429-434.
Background  In the two projects described below, information was delivered to households in order to foster norms that support reduced electricity consumption.  These projects ma…

Recycling as Altruistic Behavior: Normative and Behavioral Strategies to Expand Participation in a Community Recycling Program

Articles
Hopper, J. R., & Nielsen, J. M. (1991). Recycling as altruistic behavior: Normative and behavioral strategies to expand participation in a community recycling program. Environment and Behavior, 23, 2, 195-220.
Experimental and survey data from 122 residents of a large urban neighborhood with a community-wide curbside recycling program confirm that recycling behavior is consistent with S…

Litter Reduction: A Review and Integration of the Literature. Special Issue: Litter Control and Recycling

Articles
Huffman, K. T., Grossnickle, W. F., Cope, J. G., & Huffman, K. P. (1995). Litter reduction: A review and integration of the literature. Special Issue: Litter control and recycling. Environment and Behavior, 27, 2, 153-183.
Examined 40 articles and 59 studies that employed either an antecedent strategy (ATS) or consequence strategy (CQS) to integrate behavioral and social changes in communities and i…

Effects of Television Modeling on Residential Energy Conservation

Articles
Winett, R. A., Leckliter, I. N., Chinn, D. E., Stahl, B., & Love, S. Q. (1985). Effects of television modeling on residential energy conservation. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 18, 1, 33-44.
A combination of social marketing, communication, social learning (particularly modeling), and behavior analysis may provide an effective framework for behavior change via films a…

Effects of Social Labeling on Giving to Charity

Articles
Kraut, R. E. (1973). Effects of social labeling on giving to charity. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 9, 551-562.
This field experiment tested the hypothesis that social labeling influences an actor's self-concept and his perception of the consequences of his behavior. Subjects who gave to c…

Who Recycles and When? A Review of Personal and Situational Factors

Articles
Schultz, P. W., Oskamp, S., & Mainieri, T. (1995). Who recycles and when? A review of personal and situational factors. Journal of Enviornmental Psychology, 15, 2, 105-121.
Reviews 80 studies, published 1969-1995, to examine recyling behaviors as differentiated from attitudes and intentions. The effects on recycling behavior of both personal variabl…

The Evaluation of Litter Behavior Modification in a River Environment

Articles
Wagstaff, M. C. & Wilson, B. E. (1988). The evaluation of litter behavior modification in a river environment. Journal of Environmental Education, 20, 1, 39-44.
Evaluated the use of behavioral techniques in modifying the litter collection behavior of commercial rafting groups. 87 treatment Ss and 76 control Ss participated. A verbal appea…

Norms of Social Conduct and the Foot-in-the-Door

Articles
Kilbourne, B. K. & Kilbourne, M. T. (1984). Norms of social conduct and the foot-in-the-door. Journal of Social Psychology, 123, 1, 13-20.
Using an account analysis (giving excuses or justifications for compliance or noncompliance) to indicate the operation of social norms, the foot-in-the-door (FITD) paradigm was in…

A Field Experiment on Interventions to Improve Curbside Recycling

Articles
Schultz, P. W. (1995). A field experiment on interventions to improve curbside recycling. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering, 56, 5-B,
The United States is currently facing a solid waste crisis, and recycling is an important proenvironmental step toward resolving the crisis. Previous research with recycling has f…

Effective Dissemination of Energy-Related Information: Applying Social Psychology and Evaluation Research

Articles
Dennis, M., Soderstrom, E.J., Koncinski, W.S., Cavanaugh, B. (1990). Effective Dissemination of Energy-Related Information: Applying Social Psychology and Evaluation Research. American Psychologist, 45(10), 1109.
Discusses the limitations of previous energy conservation programs in affecting the behavior of individual consumers. Suggests that the rational-economic model upon which they wer…

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