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Cited by 3,235Environmental Education and SustainabilityEnvironmental Sustainability in BusinessPsychology of Social Influence

A Room with a Viewpoint: Using Social Norms to Motivate Environmental Conservation in Hotels

Goldstein, Noah J., Cialdini, Robert B., Griskevicius, Vladas·2008·Journal of Consumer Research
DOI 10.1086/586910
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Abstract

Two field experiments examined the effectiveness of signs requesting hotel guests' participation in an environmental conservation program. Appeals employing descriptive norms (e.g., “the majority of guests reuse their towels”) proved superior to a traditional appeal widely used by hotels that focused solely on environmental protection. Moreover, normative appeals were most effective when describing group behavior that occurred in the setting that most closely matched individuals' immediate situational circumstances (e.g., “the majority of guests in this room reuse their towels”), which we refer to as provincial norms. Theoretical and practical implications for managing proenvironmental efforts are discussed.

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Crossref · 10.1086/586910

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  • Goldstein et al. (2008) found that norms that relate to the most relevant and proximal identity-past guests of the participants' current hotel room - had the most influence on towel reuse.

    “Goldstein et al. (2008) have also tested whether norms that came from different identities had differing effects on towel reuse. They found that it was the norms that relate to the most relevant and proximal identity—past guests of the participants’ current hotel room – that had the most influence on towel reuse.”

    From A Social Identity Analysis of Climate Change and Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors: Insights and Opportunities (2016) · cites this paper as Goldstein et al. (2008)

  • The independent and interactive effects of injunctive and descriptive norms have been demonstrated in the environmental domain including in relation to littering, towel reuse, energy conservation, recycling, eco-friendly consumer behavior, and intentions to take part in a neighborhood climate protection group.

    “The independent and interactive effects of these norms has been demonstrated in the environmental domain including in relation to littering (Cialdini et al., 1990), towel reuse in hotels (Goldstein et al., 2008), energy conservation behavior (Nolan et al., 2008; Dwyer et al., 2015), recycling behavior (Fornara et al., 2011; Long et al., 2014; Schwab et al., 2014), eco-friendly consumer behavior (K”

    From A Social Identity Analysis of Climate Change and Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors: Insights and Opportunities (2016) · cites this paper as Goldstein et al., 2008

  • Many of the reviewed experiments were field studies with high ecological validity.

    “Notice that many of the experiments just mentioned were field studies, that is, they were conducted in naturalistic contexts ensuring high ecological validity (see Schultz et al. [2007]; Goldstein et al. [2008]; Gerber and Rogers [2009]; Hallsworth et al. [2017]; Sparkman and Walton [2017]).”

    From Science Communication and the Problematic Impact of Descriptive Norms (2023) · cites this paper as Goldstein et al. [2008]

  • Goldstein et al. found that hotel guests informed most people reuse towels were significantly more likely to reuse towels than guests given environmental reasons.

    “In another study, hotel guests informed that most people reuse their hotel towels were subsequently significantly more likely to do so than guests given environmental reasons for that action (Goldstein et al. [2008]).”

    From Science Communication and the Problematic Impact of Descriptive Norms (2023) · cites this paper as Goldstein et al. [2008]

  • Many experiments on descriptive norms can themselves be seen as instances of public scientific testimony because they involve public claims by scientific or authoritative sources about negative features.

    “many of the experiments on descriptive norms discussed earlier can in fact be viewed as involving actual instances of PST on their own: they involve public (descriptive-norms conveying) claims by scientific or otherwise authoritative sources about negative features”

    From Science Communication and the Problematic Impact of Descriptive Norms (2023) · cites this paper as Goldstein et al. [2008]

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Authors
Goldstein, N. J., Cialdini, R. B., & Griskevicius, V.
Affiliations
  • University of Chicago (US)
  • Arizona State University (US)
  • University of Minnesota (US)
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Consumer Research
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2008-03-03
Volume
35
Issue
3
Pages
472-482
ISSN
  • 0093-5301 (ISSN-L)
  • 1537-5277
DOI
10.1086/586910
OpenAlex
W2130950828
Cited by
3,235
References
46
Citations by year
2026: 152 · 2025: 239 · 2024: 216 · 2023: 221 · 2022: 208 · 2021: 229 · 2020: 266 · 2019: 222 · 2018: 220 · 2017: 227 · 2016: 182 · 2015: 186 · 2014: 166 · 2013: 131 · 2012: 153
FWCI
304.16
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Journal of Consumer Research (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law › Environmental Education and Sustainability
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Environmental Sustainability in Business
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Psychology of Social Influence
Keywords
social norms, descriptive norms, normative appeals, environmental protection, hotels, pro-environmental behavior, situational cues, field experiments

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