The emotional power of descriptive norms: unlocking support for sustainable energy technologies

Introduction: Social norms play a critical role in conservation behavior. This is especially true if such normative beliefs are accompanied by the perception of social approval/disapproval, activating the emotional sphere of individuals. However, because descriptive norms do not induce immediate social approval/disapproval, their impact on the emotional sphere of individuals is often underestimated. Objectives: This presentation investigates how descriptive social norms influence emotional responses, and their role in shaping pro-environmental behaviors. Through a pilot and experimental study, we examine how exposure to fellow residents with varying levels of support for Sustainable Energy Technologies (SETs) evokes emotions that may either motivate or inhibit energy-related actions. Materials & Methods: In a sample of California residents (N=600), the effects of the descriptive norm on individuals’ emotional sphere and SETs support were tested in a pre-registered 2 x 2 factorial design. Mediation tests were examined how emotions convey and reinforce the relationship between descriptive norm and SETs support. Results: The influence of the descriptive norm on SETs support seems to be conditioned by the norm’s impact on people’s emotional sphere. Deviance and conformity from the norm, evoking different emotions in individuals, lead to different behaviors, pushing those who behave anti-environmentally (but not pro-environmentally) to change their behavior. Conclusions: As hypothesized, descriptive norms, by not evoking immediate social approval/disapproval, trigger neutral-valence emotions (i.e., surprise), which nevertheless are equally capable of influencing individuals’ behaviors, even if only in “anti-environmental deviants”.