Persuasive technology with normative feedback to reduce energy consumption

The present study applies persuasive technology to promote energy conservation behaviour. The aim of the study is to investigate the role of descriptive norm in persuading air conditioner (AC) users to select higher room temperatures to save energy. We predicted that, when their natural propensity to mimic other behaviour was exploited, people would behave accordingly. An experiment was conducted and 102 students participated. They were randomly assigned into control, animation and normative groups. Participants in the normative group were given descriptive norm feedback displayed on a computer screen, whereas those in animation group were given negative social feedback, which was, in our previous study, found to be effective in persuading AC users to set higher temperatures. Results show that there was a significant effect of negative social and normative feedbacks on AC temperature setting. Participants in normative feedback group, having their natural predisposition to follow other behaviour triggered, set higher AC temperatures than those without any feedback. Participants in the animation (negative social) feedback group showed similar outcome, confirming previous study results. Implication of the finding is discussed in the discussion section.