Does the nudge effect persist? Evidence from a fi eld experiment using social comparison message in China

Chen, Haoyan and Qin, Botao (2020): Does the nudge effect persist? Evidence from a fi eld experiment using social comparison message in China.

Abstract

We designed and carried out a field experiment in which we imposed social comparison incentives and technical recommendations on student dormitories through electricity consumption reports and energy-saving suggestions materials, respectively. Our findings are as follows: 1) Regression results on all users show that the effect of social norms is not statistically significant. 2) A social comparison message has a heterogeneous effect on consumers' energy use. Low and high energy users reduced their electricity consumption by 26% and 14%, respectively, in the first week after the treatment. 3) The effect of social norms is time sensitive.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Social norms; Social comparison message; Energy saving behavior
• Subjects: C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C9 - Design of Experiments > C93 - Field Experiments; D - Microeconomics > D1 - Household Behavior and Family Economics > D10 - General; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q4 - Energy > Q41 - Demand and Supply ; Prices

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