Premium
A field experiment: Testing the potential of norms for achieving behavior change in English parishes
Author(s) -
Van de Vyver Julie,
John Peter
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/jasp.12443
Subject(s) - normative , government (linguistics) , psychology , field (mathematics) , action (physics) , social psychology , behavior change , asset (computer security) , value (mathematics) , collective action , intervention (counseling) , political science , law , computer security , politics , computer science , philosophy , linguistics , quantum mechanics , machine learning , pure mathematics , psychiatry , physics , mathematics
Abstract Tests of behavioral insights have become increasingly more common, and have been deployed by UK government and agencies. Typically, these field experiments aim to change individual‐level behaviors. The current article tests the potential of behavioral insights for changing group‐level behavior. This article reports the results of a field experiment carried out with the Department of Communities and Local Government. The field experiment tested whether a normative message (vs. a neutral or no message) could encourage parish councils to register an asset of community value (social action). There was no statistically significant effect from this intervention, but the process of designing and implementing this field experiment shows the potential for theories of behavior change to be used by government departments.