Total Energy Use in Buildings
April 25, 2012
faculty of behavioural
and social sciences
psychology
Date 25-04-2012 | 1
The psychology of occupants
Ellen van der Werff
faculty of behavioural
and social sciences
psychology
Date 25-04-2012 | 2
Predicting energy use
Income
+
Household
size
+
Household
energy use
+
Age
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Total Energy Use in Buildings
April 25, 2012
faculty of behavioural
and social sciences
psychology
Date 25-04-2012 | 3
Predicting energy use
› Energy saving best predicted by psychological
factors
› Only 20% of energy use explained by the
building (EPC norm)
› Behavior essential, particularly when buildings
are similar
faculty of behavioural
and social sciences
psychology
Date 25-04-2012 | 4
Values
› Guiding principles in your life (Schwartz, 1992)
ƒ Hedonic
ƒ Egoistic
ƒ Altruistic
ƒ Biospheric
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Total Energy Use in Buildings
April 25, 2012
faculty of behavioural
and social sciences
psychology
Date 25-04-2012 |
Hedonic
values
+
Egoistic values
+
Household
energy use
Altruistic
values
-Biospheric
values
faculty of behavioural
and social sciences
psychology
Date 25-04-2012 | 6
Goal framing theory
› Goals frame the way we process information
and how we act (Lindenberg & Steg, 2007)
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
Hedonic goal
Gain goal
Normative goal
› Goal strength depends on type of situation,
behavior and person
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Total Energy Use in Buildings
April 25, 2012
faculty of behavioural
and social sciences
psychology
Date 25-04-2012 | 7
Hedonic goal
› A priori the strongest goal
› Often used in
commercials and
advertisements
faculty of behavioural
and social sciences
psychology
Date 25-04-2012 | 8
Making it fun!
› Competition
ƒ With yourself (goal)
ƒ With others
› Visual feedback
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Total Energy Use in Buildings
April 25, 2012
faculty of behavioural
and social sciences
psychology
Date 25-04-2012 | 9
Gain goal
› Cost-benefit analysis
› For example: subsidies, pricing policy
Problems:
› Public support
› Intrinsic motivation reduces
faculty of behavioural
and social sciences
psychology
Date 25-04-2012 | 10
Gain goal
› Status
ƒ Electric car
ƒ Solar panels
If:
-Visible (e.g. not for isolation)
-As expensive or more
expensive than alternative
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Total Energy Use in Buildings
April 25, 2012
faculty of behavioural
and social sciences
psychology
Date 25-04-2012 | 11
Normative goal
› A priori the weakest
› Most solid basis for sustainable behavior
Strengthen:
› Social norm
› Past behavior
faculty of behavioural
and social sciences
psychology
Date 25-04-2012 | 12
Social norm
Reported reasons to save energy
4
3,5
Correlation beliefs
energysaving consequences
and behavior
3
Environment: r = .06
2,5
Money: r = .03
Others: r = .45*
2
1,5
1
Milieu
Environment
Geld
Money
Anderen
doen het
Others
-6-
Total Energy Use in Buildings
April 25, 2012
faculty of behavioural
and social sciences
psychology
Date 25-04-2012 | 13
Influence social norm
› Study on household energy use (N = 371)
› 4 messages on door hangers:
Protect the environment by saving
energy
Save energy for future generations
Save money by saving energy
Join your neighbors and save energy
1.
2.
3.
4.
faculty of behavioural
and social sciences
psychology
Date 25-04-2012 | 14
Energy use (kWh per day)
15
14
13
12
11
10
milieu
Environment
toekomstige
generaties
Future generations
geld
Money
sociale norm
Social Norm
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Total Energy Use in Buildings
April 25, 2012
faculty of behavioural
and social sciences
psychology
Date 25-04-2012 | 15
Behavior of others
Schultz, Nolan, Cialdini, Goldstein en Griskevicius (2007)
faculty of behavioural
and social sciences
psychology
Date 25-04-2012 | 16
Behavior of others: Opower
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Total Energy Use in Buildings
April 25, 2012
faculty of behavioural
and social sciences
psychology
Date 25-04-2012 |
Past behavior
Biospheric
values
Environmental
actions
Environmental
self-identity
Past environmental actions
faculty of behavioural
and social sciences
psychology
Date 25-04-2012 | 18
Past behavior
product choice
3,5
3
2,5
2
1,5
1
0,5
0
Environmentallyfriendly
Environmentallyunfriendly
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Total Energy Use in Buildings
April 25, 2012
faculty of behavioural
and social sciences
psychology
Date 25-04-2012 | 19
Conclusion
› Behavior essential, particularly when buildings
are similar
› Promote energy saving:
ƒ Make the hedonic and gain goal compatible
with energy saving
ƒ Strengthen normative goal
- Social norm
- Past behavior
faculty of behavioural
and social sciences
psychology
Date 25-04-2012 | 20
Thank you for your attention!
Questions?
[email protected]
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