The Constructive, Destructive, and Reconstructive Power of Social Norms
Schultz, Nolan, Cialdini and colleagues note that normative messages work well in laboratory tests but have had mixed success in field contexts, with some boomerang effects. In a field experiment promoting household energy conservation, a descriptive message giving average neighbourhood usage produced savings or a boomerang effect depending on whether households were already using little or a lot. Adding an injunctive message conveying social approval or disapproval eliminated the boomerang effect.
Schultz, Nolan, Cialdini and colleagues note that normative messages work well in laboratory tests but have had mixed success in field contexts, with some boomerang effects. In a field experiment promoting household energy conservation, a descriptive message giving average neighbourhood usage produced savings or a boomerang effect depending on whether households were already using little or a lot. Adding an injunctive message conveying social approval or disapproval eliminated the boomerang effect.
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Schultz, P. W., Nolan, J. M., Cialdini, R. B., Goldstein, N. J., & Griskevicius, V. (2007). The Constructive, Destructive, and Reconstructive Power of Social Norms. Psychological Science, 18(5), 429-434. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01917.x.