I saw the sign: Promoting energy conservation via normative prompts

• © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. The focus theory of normative conduct proposes that normative influence can be enhanced by focusing people's attention to social norms. In a quasi-experimental field study, four normative prompts were compared on their ability to promote energy conservation behavior in public bathrooms. In line with an attention-reactance proposition, prompts that included both prescriptive and proscriptive content (i.e. dualinjunctive) elicited higher compliance compared prompts including either prescriptive or proscriptive content (i.e. single-injunctive). Study 2 assessed participants' experience of the prompts, indicating support for attention and reactance processes. Moreover, a clear incongruence between results of study 1 and respondents' assessment of the most influential prompt was found. Taken together, these findings add to the focus theory of normative conduct, suggesting one technique to increase compliance. On the applied level, these findings propose that the content used in prompts can have large effects on energy conservation behavior.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Energy conservation

Pro-environmental behavior

Prompts

Social influence

Social norms

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