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Communication and Collective Actions: A Survey Experiment on Motivating Energy Conservation in the U.S

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  • Bolsen, Toby
  • Druckman, James N.
  • Cook, Fay Lomax

Abstract

When do citizens take action to benefit the public good, even when individual benefits are scant or non-existent? We address this question with a focus on an area of critical importance when it comes to environmental sustainability—specifically, we examine citizens' actions in the domain of energy conservation. We do so by using a survey experiment to evaluate the impact of exposure to communications posited to shape collective action behavior. We find that communications shape behavior depending on two primary factors not previously studied in concert: to whom responsibility is attributed for collective outcomes; and, what effects, or consequences, are associated with one's actions. We find that communications emphasizing individual responsibility and collective environmental benefits can stimulate collective action.

Suggested Citation

  • Bolsen, Toby & Druckman, James N. & Cook, Fay Lomax, 2014. "Communication and Collective Actions: A Survey Experiment on Motivating Energy Conservation in the U.S," Journal of Experimental Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 1(1), pages 24-38, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jexpos:v:1:y:2014:i:01:p:24-38_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Mathilde van Dijk & Annet-Jantien Smit & Jan-Peter Nap, 2023. "Message Framing and Attitudes Toward Green Gas Facilities in Rural Communities of The Netherlands," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(3), pages 21582440231, September.
    2. Adam Seth Levine & Reuben Kline, 2017. "A new approach for evaluating climate change communication," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 142(1), pages 301-309, May.
    3. Shapiro, Matthew A. & Bolsen, Toby, 2019. "Korean perceptions of transboundary air pollution and domestic coal development: Two framing experiments," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 333-342.
    4. Menegaki, Angeliki, N. & Olsen, Søren Bøye & Tsagarakis, Konstantinos P., 2016. "Towards a common standard – A reporting checklist for web-based stated preference valuation surveys and a critique for mode surveys," Journal of choice modelling, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 18-50.
    5. Aasen, Marianne & Vatn, Arild, 2018. "Public Attitudes Toward Climate Policies: The Effect of Institutional Contexts and Political Values," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 106-114.
    6. Nick Obradovich & Scott M. Guenther, 2016. "Collective responsibility amplifies mitigation behaviors," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 137(1), pages 307-319, July.

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