IJSSER

Title: A FIELD EXPERIMENT ON NUDGING PRO-ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIOUR
Authors: Diya Ahuja
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Diya Ahuja The Shri Ram School Moulsari
MLA 8 Ahuja, Diya. "A FIELD EXPERIMENT ON NUDGING PRO-ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIOUR." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, vol. 6, no. 8, Aug. 2021, pp. 2834-2852, doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2021.v06i08.019. Accessed Aug. 2021. APA 6 Ahuja, Diya. "A FIELD EXPERIMENT ON NUDGING PRO-ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIOUR." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research 6, no. 8 (August 2021), 2834-2852. Accessed August, 2021. https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2021.v06i08.019. Chicago Ahuja, Diya. "A FIELD EXPERIMENT ON NUDGING PRO-ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIOUR." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research 6, no. 8 (August 2021), 2834-2852. Accessed August, 2021. https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2021.v06i08.019.
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Abstract: Currently, India battles a massive water crisis. With 14 years of water-conservation policy measures falling short, aggressive controls may not be the solution. This study aims to investigate whether nudges can be used as an effective tool in persuading hotel guests to take shorter showers, serving as a proxy for other behavioural-economic interventions which can be used to encourage pro-environmental behaviour. The experiment tested two different types of nudges, a social-proof nudge and an information-based nudge, through the medium of posters and timers in hotel-room showers. Findings showed that the social-proof nudge decreased daily shower water consumption by 8.86%, which could save 62.02 litres of water per guest over the course of a week and the information-based nudge decreased daily shower water consumption by 13.88%, translating to 97.16 litres of water conserved in a week by one guest. Therefore, the study concluded that guests can be successfully ‘nudged' into reducing the duration of their showers.

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