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on Nudge and Boosting |
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Issue of 2023‒11‒27
two papers chosen by |
| By: | Alix Rouillé (PhD student, CEPS, ENS Paris-Saclay) |
| Abstract: | The combination of social norms and nudges has proven to be a powerful tool for inciting people to adopt pro-environmental behaviors. In this study, we implemented nudges that promote pro-environmental behavior still not explored by behavioral economics: waste composting. In particular, we designed priming and social norm nudges to incite people looking for information about waste composting possibilities. We set up a field experiment with a two-fold purpose. First, remove the barriers towards collective composting in Lyon by using posters related to priming theory with QR Codes that redirect directly to the website of a local association dedicated to environmental actions. Second, these posters created new social norm mechanisms. Since composting is still practiced by only a minority of people in France, the standard way of combining nudges and social norms is insufficient in this context. Here, we focus on descriptive and injunctive norms with local dimensions. These new norms aimed to make the nudge more efficient by increasing the number of scans. We observed that the scans of the posters allowed for a significant increase in the visits to the website over several months, thus improving information about collective waste composting. Although no significant differences were found between social norms treatments, these results show that the QR Code is a promising tool for implementing nudges. |
| Keywords: | Nudge, composting, priming, social norms, QR Code |
| JEL: | C93 D91 Q53 |
| Date: | 2023–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fae:wpaper:2023.11&r=nud |
| By: | Picard, Julien; Banerjee, Sanchayan |
| Abstract: | Fighting the climate crisis requires changing many aspects of our consumption habits. Previous studies show that a first climate-friendly action can lead to another. Does deciding not to eat meat increase our willingness to do more for the environment? Can encouraging vegetarianism alter this willingness? Using an online randomised control trial, we study the side effects of a social norm nudge promoting vegetarianism on environmental donations. We develop an experimental design to estimate these side effects and a utility maximisation framework to understand their mechanisms. Using an instrumental variable, we find that choosing not to eat meat increases donations to pro-environmental charities. We use machine learning to find that the social norm nudge crowds out donations from the population segment prone to choosing vegetarian food after seeing the nudge. However, the nudge led another group to make less carbon-intensive food choices without affecting their donations. Our results suggest that whilst social norm nudges are effective on specific population segments, they can also reduce the willingness of some groups to do more. |
| Keywords: | social norm; meat; climate change; behavioural spillovers; side effects |
| JEL: | C30 C93 D91 Z10 |
| Date: | 2023–09–13 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:120566&r=nud |