Differences in how and why social comparisons and real-time feedback impact resource use: Evidence from a field experiment

Mark Andreas Andor, Lorenz Götte, Michael Keith Price, Anna Schulze Tilling and Lukas Tomberg

No 1059, Ruhr Economic Papers from RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen

Abstract: We compare the behavior and welfare effects of two popular behavioral interventions for resource conservation. The first intervention is social comparison reports (SC), primarily providing consumers with information motivating behavioral change. The second intervention is real-time feedback (RTF), primarily providing consumers with information facilitating behavioral change. In a field experiment with around 1,000 participants, SC reduces water use per shower by 9.4%, RTF by 28.8%, and the combination of both interventions by 35.0%. Participants' willingness to pay for RTF and the combination is higher than for SC. We find that all interventions enhance welfare.

Keywords: Resource conservation; welfare; real-time feedback; social comparison; behavioral intervention; field experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 D12 Q25 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dcm, nep-env, nep-exp and nep-nud
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:rwirep:282012

DOI: 10.4419/96973229

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