Abstract
Research has shown that messages containing descriptive normative feedback can induce behavior change in the direction of the norm. However, the literature is mixed regarding the relative influence of more specific referent groups. This study compared the effectiveness of social normative feedback at increasing waste diversion, across four referent groups varying in their degree of specificity. A sample of 1560 single-family households in California were randomly assigned to one of six possible conditions: specific normative feedback about their immediate neighbors, exemplary normative feedback about the best recyclers in their city, generic normative feedback about the other residents in their neighborhood, normative feedback about a statewide waste diversion target, information-only, or no-contact control. Households in the feedback conditions received a mailed personalized Home Waste and Recycling report comparing their diversion rate to an assigned referent group. Results showed that normative feedback increased diversion rates compared to the control conditions, but results did not show significant differences between the feedback conditions. Additional results showed that the treatment effects were driven primarily by changes among households that were below the norm in baseline diversion rates. Findings are discussed within the framework of the Focus Theory of Normative Conduct, and the implications for large-scale applications.
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