Abstract

To convince people to reduce their energy consumption, two types of persuasive appeals often are used by environmental organizations: Monetary appeals (i.e., ‘conserving energy will save you money’) and environmental appeals (i.e., ‘conserving energy will protect the environment’). In this field study we aimed to compare the effects of monetary and environmental appeals on showering habits. During two weeks we measured showering behavior in one hundred households. As compared to monetary appeals, environmental appeals were more effective in decreasing participants’ shower frequency. Interestingly, the monetary appeal was judged as somewhat more motivating to save water than the environmental appeal. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

摘要

为了说服人们减少能源消耗，环境组织经常使用两种类型的说服性呼吁：金钱呼吁（即“节约能源将为您节省金钱”）和环境呼吁（即“节约能源将保护环境”） 。在这项现场研究中，我们旨在比较金钱和环境吸引力对淋浴习惯的影响。在两个星期内，我们测量了一百个家庭的淋浴行为。与金钱诉求相比，环境诉求在降低参与者的洗礼频率上更为有效。有趣的是，与环境呼吁相比，金钱呼吁被认为在节水方面更具动机。我们讨论这些发现的理论和实践意义。