Using social norms and commitment to promote pro-environmental behavior among hotel guests

This research compares the effectiveness of commitment and normative strategies to promote towel reuse among hotel guests. We used a 2 (commitment vs no commitment) × 2 (norm vs no norm) between-participants quasi-experimental design to create four communication strategies. The first strategy consisted of a simple in-room message reminding guests that they could contribute to environmental conservation by reusing their towels. The second added a normative appeal to this message (i.e., “75% of guests reuse their towels”). The third used a commitment strategy whereby the initial message (simple in-room message) was combined with a preparatory request (i.e., hang a card on room door to show you support the hotel's initiative). Finally, the fourth included both the normative appeal and the preparatory request. The results demonstrate that the isolated use of norms and commitment has a positive effect on guests' pro-environmental behavior. We also observe that the combined use of these two strategies does not result in increased pro-environmental behavior in comparison to when they are used separately.