The Oil Drum

34 comments on Social Norms, Climate Change, and the Energy Crisis We Face

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Nate Hagens on September 30, 2007 - 11:38am

The two examples illustrated by Prof Cialdini (again) show the importance of relative social comparisons as opposed to absolute -this is a trait grounded in evolutionary psychology. We care about how we keep up (or don't) with the Joneses, and any cues given via marketing or the environment on how we 'compare' have great potential to tweak our behaviour.

Taking nothing away from the great research of Prof Cialdini, I believe that conventional sociology, psychology, etc. have become quite good at sussing out our proximate behaviours, but only when looked through an evolutionary lens can we see the ultimate reasons underlying our behavioural choices. The vast majority of our history was in tribal groups of 100 or so members and the social rules necessary to survive and advance within these settings are still very actively with us today. Psychology is a subset of biology - accepting and integrating this fact will help synthesize the best ways to 'market' changing energy behaviour.

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LoveOregon on September 30, 2007 - 1:03pm

I agree, but don’t think there’s need to be quite so reductionist. The task is to link these proximate and ultimate factors, figuring ways to make the proximate norms driving status-driven behaviors less materially consumptive. I suspect these traits will/can develop locally, indeed already are, but these local adaptations need to be shielded off from TV and other corporate/large-scale interests promoting consumption - with slick, effective persuasion tools behind them. Many elements for locally less consumptive normative behavior are already at play – “unplug your TV”, “walk more for health”, etc. But how to make and keep them normative?

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Nate Hagens on September 30, 2007 - 2:22pm

I actually don't think of it as reductionist but do agree the linkages are the most important.

FYI -I am in your lovely (but rainy) state. Found lots of lobster mushrooms and chicken of woods yesterday but the rain is blowing horizontal on the coast today so its cozy by the fire catching up on reading...I too Love Oregon.

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Aniya on October 5, 2007 - 6:26pm

Hi Nate,

Just an anecdote: Sometime when I have time (which "peak oil" doesn't seem to provide us with) - I could share w. you some work and questions I had re: my brief foray into ev psych. There's some excellent work being done, of course, and also some work w. (IMVHO) very questionable premises that no one in the field questions. Among some researchers/practitioners, my "VHO" is that there is a kind of reductionist thinking going on, which is subtle, in a way, and kind of self-reinforcing. It's work to lay it all out - and then again, one needs a receptive audience.