Pull the plug : How private commitment strategies can strengthen personal norms and promote energy-saving in the Netherlands

We tested the influence of a private commitment strategy, in which people pledge to change their behaviour, on energy saving behaviour. We found that the private commitment only influenced energy saving behaviour when the behaviour was perceived to be relatively effortful. When people found it easy to engage in the behaviour, the private commitment did not promote energy saving behaviour. Importantly, we tested the underlying mechanism why private commitments may influence energy saving in households. Our results show that when behaviours are perceived to be relatively effortful, the private c... Mehr ...