MOTIVATING BEHAVIOR CHANGE THE ROLE OF SOCIAL NORMS …

MOTIVATING BEHAVIOR CHANGE – THE ROLE OF

SOCIAL NORMS IN THE ENERGY TRANSITION

SCIENTIFIC WORKSHOP ON SOCIAL NORMS I OCT 9-10, 2019 I LISA HANNA BROSKA

Part of the project Economics of Climate Change– Transformation of the energy system towardssustainability focusing on community-basedactivities (REsCO), member of the fundingmeasure Economics of Climate Change II

INTRODUCTION – WHY BEHAVIOR CHANGE IS NEEDED

October 10, 2019 Page 2

Final energy consumption in Germany in 2017

(UBA, 2019)



Final energy consumption by sector - EU-28 in 2016

(European Commission, 2018)

Transport33%

Residential26%

Industry25%

Services14%

Agriculture and Fishing

2%



Greenhouse gas emissions of an average German in 2017 (in CO2 equivalents)

(BMU, 2018)

Other*38%

Transport (excluding air travel)

14%

Air travel5%

Public emissions**6%

Electricity7%

Food15%

Heating15%

* e.g. clothing, home appliances, leisure activities** e.g. water supply, sewage disposal, waste disposal



The impact of user behavior on residential site energy consumption

(WBCSD, 2009)



Emissions reduction potential of behavior change – two scenarios

(Williamson et al., 2018)

MOTIVATING BEHAVIOR CHANGE –THE ROLE OF

SOCIAL NORMS IN THE ENERGY TRANSITION


Overview

1. Introduction – Why behavior change is needed2. The Issue3. Hypotheses4. Fundamentals

4.1. Behavior and Motivation4.2. ‘The Social‘

5. Interview Results5.1. Methodology5.3. The projects and all actions taken5.2. Preliminary Results

6. Discussion of Interview Results7. Concluding remarks

THE ISSUE


Behavior change as regress

Using the car is more convenient!

“It‘s really, reallyuncomfortable and there areno creature comforts on board whatsoever…“- Justin Rowlatt, BBC World Service: Newsday, Aug 13, 2019

“… aboard the Malizia II, a high-speed 18-metre yacht built to race around the globe.“- BBC News, Jul 29, 2019

“Greta Thunberg sets sail for New York on zero-carbon yacht “- Jonathan Watts, The Guardian, Aug 14, 2019

► a matter of framing

Non-organic food is cheaper!

Flying is faster!

HYPOTHESES


Hypothesis 1In order to motivate behavior change towards a more sustainable lifestyle the behavior change itself needs to be re-framed.

Hypothesis 2The current framing and the needed re-framing are and can be significantly influenced by the social context, and in particular social norms.

FUNDAMENTALS


motivesgoals behaviormotivation behavior

Behavior and motivation

FUNDAMENTALS




Definition: Behavior“Behavior is the entirety of all possible actions and omissions.” (Hillmann, 1994b)

behavior

FUNDAMENTALS




Definition: Action“(…) willfully doing an activity out of a motive and with a purpose. Instinctive actions (for example, breathing) are not acting.“ (Möller, 2015)

behavior

FUNDAMENTALS




Definition: Motivation“Processes, in which certain motives are activated and translated into actions.“ (Stangl, 2019)

motivation

FUNDAMENTALS




motives

Definition: Motive“(…) conscious and unconscious drives and strivings that subjectively prompt individual and social behaviour.“ (Hillmann, 1994a)

FUNDAMENTALS




goals

Definition: Goals“A goal is an idea of the future or desired result that a person or a group envisions, plans and commits to achieve.” (Locke et al., 1990)An activated or focal goal is a “combination of a motive and an activated knowledge structure”. (Lindenberg et al., 2007)

FUNDAMENTALS


Behavior and motivation explained – Goal-framing theory

Goals

Normative goals

Self-interestgoals

Gain goals

Hedonicgoals

(Lindenberg et al., 2007)

Definition: Framing effects“Choices can be presented in a way that highlights the positive or negative aspects of the same decision, leading to changes in their relative attractiveness.” (Samson, 2019)

FUNDAMENTALS


Behavior and motivation explained – Goal-framing theory

(Lindenberg et al., 2007, 2013)

Institutions

Normative goals

Gain goals

Hedonicgoals

Levelof

support needed Institutions + Moralization +

Sanctions

FUNDAMENTALS



Behavior and motivation - summarized

FUNDAMENTALS


Why focus on ‘the social‘?

Evolution at the core of social behavior:

The drive to connect and cooperate with others promotes survival. (Duckworth, 2016)

By acting as a group the scope of action and the level of information are expanded. (Kirchgässner, 1991)

Evolution

(for an explanation of the term ‘the social‘ see Autrata (2011))

FUNDAMENTALS


Social norms

Definition: Social norm“(…) a predominant behavioral pattern within a group, supported by a shared understanding of acceptable actions and sustained through social interactions within that group.” (Nyborg et al., 2016)

INTERVIEW RESULTS


Methodology

Identify motives via interviewsamong members of sustainable, community-based projects that include the energy system in their sustainability efforts


INTERVIEW RESULTS


The projects and all actions taken (1)

eco-settlement #1eco-settlement #2

Housing cooperatives

Energy cooperatives

Project types

Eco-settlements

housing cooperative #1

energy cooperative #1energy cooperative #2energy cooperative #3

INTERVIEW RESULTS



project

sustainability measures in the energy system:

other environmental measuresheating electricity energy-efficiency

measures and energy

conservation

transport

eco-settlement #1 - solarthermal &

wood chips

(formerly)

- wood pellets

- partial on-site

production

through PV

- decentralized wastewater

system (constructed wetland)

- composting toilets

- attempts at self-sufficient

living

- vegetarian lifestyle (many)

- organic building materials

- consumption of organic products

- attempts at reducing waste

- participation in vegetable box scheme

(formerly)

eco-settlement #2 - partial on-site

production

through PV

(formerly)

- decentralized wastewater

system (constructed wetland)

(formerly)

- composting toilets

(formerly)

- extensive green roof

- organic building materials

- attempts at reducing waste

- consumption of organic products

INTERVIEW RESULTS



project

sustainability measures in the energy system: other

environmental

measures

heating electricity energy-efficiency measures

and energy conservation

transport

housing cooperative #1 - decentralized

heat and power

plant (CHP)

fueled by biogas

- on-site production

through PV combined

with CHP

- passive house concept - carsharing

- car-free precinct

- extensive usage

of public transport

and bicycles

energy cooperative #1 - solar district

heating combined

with woodchips

and BioLPG

- only locally sourced wood;

forest mostly owned by

cooperative members

- citizens' bus

(separate project,

same village)

energy cooperative #2 - wind power

energy cooperative #3 - wind parks

- PV park

- rooftop PV leasing

system

PRELIMINARY RESULTS


Stated main motive “What motivated you to participate in this project?”

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

sustainability/ecology community get out of the city age-appropriatehousing/OAP

PRELIMINARY RESULTS


Stated main motive (among members only - without initiators)

“What motivated you to participate in this project?”

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

sustainability/ecology community get out of the city age-appropriatehousing/OAP

PRELIMINARY RESULTS


Ecology as motive ranked

“What motivated you to participate in this project?”

38%

24%

9%

29%main motive

close second

sold on it by initiators

did not mention it when askedabout their motivations

PRELIMINARY RESULTS


All stated motives without ranking “What motivated you to participate in this project?”

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

DISCUSSION OF RESULTS


Results confirmed by previous research

Goal-framing theory► there are always several goals, i.e. motives, behind any behavior

Research on environmental behaviors► environmental behavior “transcends compartmentalized boundaries”

(Lindenberg et al., 2007, 2013)

(Barr et al., 2006)



Willingness to pay more

Example #1The choice: an environmentally friendly insulation material

(styrofoam vs. mineral wool) ► additional costs: 7 Cents/sq m

Example #2The choice: an environmentally friendly heating system

(heating oil vs. solar district heating)► additional costs: 400-500 €/a► communicated cost difference during the time of the decision:

7 Cents/kWh (oil price at the time) vs. 12,5 Cents/kWh

(housing cooperative #1, interview 9)

(energy cooperative #1, interview 20 & 22)



Observation of social norms

Environmental behaviors

Motivation to join the project:community

Social normswithin that community



Return to the hypotheses: Reframing in terms of ‘the social‘

Hypothesis 1In order to motivate behavior change towards a more sustainable lifestyle the behavior change itself needs to be re-framed.

Hypothesis 2The current framing and the needed re-framing are and can be significantly influenced by the social context, and in particular social norms.

CONCLUDING REMARKS


Implications of results for creating incentives to change behaviors

(Williamson et al., 2018)

Socialincentives

CONCLUDING REMARKS


Outlook on other insights from the interviews

Breaking habits & broader life changes as impetus to act► (Whitmarsh, 2011)

Social capital, community action, and key individuals► (Ostrom, 2000a, 2000b; Rydin, 2014; Gallent et al., 2014)

REFERENCES – 1


Autrata, O. (2011). Was ist das Soziale? Sozial Extra, 35(5), 42. doi:10.1007/s12054-011-0211-zBarbuto, J. E., & Scholl, R. W. (1998). Motivation Sources Inventory: Development and Validation of New Scales to Measure an Integrative Taxonomy of Motivation. Psychological Reports, 82(3), 1011-1022. doi:10.2466/pr0.1998.82.3.1011Barr, S., & Gilg, A. (2006). Sustainable lifestyles: Framing environmental action in and around the home. Geoforum, 37(6), 906-920. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2006.05.002BMU (2018). Klimaschutz in Zahlen - Fakten, Trends und Impulse deutscher Klimapolitik. Berlin: Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und nukleare Sicherheit.Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. European Commission (2018). EU energy in figures - Statistical Pocketbook 2018. Retrieved Oct 6, 2019, from https://publications.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/99fc30eb-c06d-11e8-9893-01aa75ed71a1/language-en/format-PDF/source-77059768Ferreira, M., & van den Wijngaard, R. (2019). Pro-Environmental Behaviour - We Care Because Others Do. In A. Samson (Ed.), The Behavioral Economics Guide 2019 (pp. 121-130).Gallent, N., & Ciaffi, D. E. (2014). Community action and planning: Contexts, drivers and outcomes. Bristol: Policy Press.Hillmann, K.-H. E. (1994a). Motivation. In Wörterbuch der Soziologie. Germany: Alfred Kröner Verlag Stuttgart.Hillmann, K.-H. E. (1994b). Verhalten. In K.-H. Hillmann (Ed.), Wörterbuch der Soziologie. Germany: Alfred Kröner Verlag Stuttgart.Kahneman, D., & Tversky, A. (1979). Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision Under Risk. In L. C. MacLean & W. T. Ziemba (Eds.), Handbook of the Fundamentals of Financial Decision Making (pp. 99-127): World Scientific.Kirchgässner, G. (1991). Homo oeconomicus: das ökonomische Modell individuellen Verhaltens und seine Anwendung in den Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften: J.C.B. Mohr.Lindenberg, S., & Steg, L. (2007). Normative, Gain and Hedonic Goal Frames Guiding Environmental Behavior. Journal of Social Issues, 63(1), 117-137. doi:10.1111/j.1540-4560.2007.00499.xLindenberg, S., & Steg, L. (2013). Goal-framing theory and norm-guided environmental behavior. In H. van Trijp (Ed.), Encouraging sustainable behavior (pp. 37-54). New York: Psychology Press.Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (1990). A theory of goal setting & task performance. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, US: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

REFERENCES – 2


Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological review, 98(2), 224-253. Möller, P. (2015). Handeln und Verhalten. Retrieved September 26, from http://www.philolex.de/handeln.htmNyborg, K., Anderies, J. M., Dannenberg, A., Lindahl, T., Schill, C., Schlüter, M., Adger, W. N., Arrow, K. J., Barrett, S., Carpenter, S., Chapin, F. S., Crépin, A.-S., Daily, G., Ehrlich, P., Folke, C., Jager, W., Kautsky, N., Levin, S. A., Madsen, O. J., Polasky, S., Scheffer, M., Walker, B., Weber, E. U., Wilen, J., Xepapadeas, A., & de Zeeuw, A. (2016). Social norms as solutions. Science, 354(6308), 42-43. doi:10.1126/science.aaf8317Ostrom, E. (2000a). Collective Action and the Evolution of Social Norms. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 14(3), 137-158. doi:10.1257/jep.14.3.137Ostrom, E. (2000b). Social capital: a fad or a fundamental concept. In P. Dasgupta & I. Serageldin (Eds.), Social capital: A multifaceted perspective (pp. 172-214). Washington D.C.: The World Bank.Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68. Rydin, Y. (2014). Communities, networks and social capital. In N. Gallent & D. Ciaffi (Eds.), Community action and planning: Contexts, drivers and outcomes (pp. 21-39). Bristol: Policy Press.Samson, A. E. (2019). The Behavioral Economics Guide 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019, from http://www.behavioraleconomics.comStangl, W. (2019). Motivation. Retrieved January 30, 2019, from http://lexikon.stangl.eu/337/motivation/Steg, L., Perlaviciute, G., & van der Werff, E. (2015). Understanding the human dimensions of a sustainable energy transition. Frontiers in Psychology, 6(805). doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00805Thaler, R. H., & Sunstein, C. R. (2008). Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.UBA (2019). Energieverbrauch nach Energieträgern, Sektoren und Anwendungen. Retrieved Oct 6, 2019, from https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/daten/energie/energieverbrauch-nach-energietraegern-sektorenWang, H., Yang, Y., Keller, A. A., Li, X., Feng, S., Dong, Y.-n., & Li, F. (2016). Comparative analysis of energy intensity and carbon emissions in wastewater treatment in USA, Germany, China and South Africa. Applied Energy, 184, 873-881. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.07.061WBCSD (2009). Transforming the Market: Energy Efficiency in Buildings. World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Whitmarsh, L. (2011). Social and psychological drivers of energy consumption behaviour and energy transitions. The Political Economy of the Environment: An Interdisciplinary Approach, Abingdon: Routledge, 213-228. Williamson, K., Satre-Meloy, A., Velasco, K., & Green, K. (2018). Climate Change Needs Behavior Change: Making the case for behavioral solutions to reduce global warming. In. Arlington, VA: Rare - Center for Behavior and the Environment.

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MOTIVATING BEHAVIOR CHANGE THE ROLE OF SOCIAL NORMS …