1. Providing information
October 30, 2010

2. Overview Does information work? The qualities of effective information
Yes…and no
The qualities of effective information
What kinds of information work?
When might information be an effective way to behavior change?

3. Does calorie posting help?
Yes? One study found a 6% drop in calories ordered at Starbucks after calorie posting (ends up being about 14 calories)
No? One study of low-income NYC residents found a slight increase after posting, even though people believed otherwise

4. Can information help?
Only r = .30 correlation between knowledge about recycling and recycling behavior
Everyone is aware of the risks of smoking, yet people still start and continue to smoke

5. Necessary psychological steps
Perceive the message
Favorably evaluate the message
Understand the message
Remember the message
If any of these steps fails, information will be of no use

6. Perception

7. Favorable evaluation
Why might people not favorably evaluate a helpful message?
The medium
Not funny, interesting, likeable, fun
The message itself
People get defensive when they’re being criticized
Sometimes people just don’t like things

8. Understanding
Costanzo et al., 1986

9. Remember this
Memory is not perfect
Information may even backfire

11. The best information is…
Accurate
Vivid
Direct
Immediate

12. Give people accurate information

13. The best information is…
Accurate
Vivid
Direct
Immediate

14. UV photographs & sunscreen

15. Fear appeals
Fear appeals are effective, but not as strongly as they could be
How can we make them work better?
Threat and efficacy are two main components of fear appeals
What is the bad thing? How can we fix it?
Three responses:
Low threat: ignore it
High threat, low efficacy: deal with the fear
High threat, high efficacy: deal with the threat

16. The best information is…
Accurate
Vivid
Direct
Immediate

17. MPG or GPM?

19. The best information is…
Accurate
Vivid
Direct
Immediate

21. Gas mileage

22. “Nutricate” your customers
Stores that gave out these receipts saw increases in the number of smoothies over milkshakes, increases in no mayo order, and increase in no cheese orders over other stores without these receipts

23. Feedback
Energy consumption is hard to track—which appliance is using how much?
The easiest to move around is AC and heating—a change of a degree or so can have a big impact on energy use and a much smaller one on comfort
Participants who were given feedback about their actual energy use as it compared to their predicted use ended up using 10% less electricity
Seligman & Darley, 1977

24. Feedback as information

25. Summary
Information is a simple but often ineffective way to prompt good behavior
It is very easy for information to fail to have impact
Information is more likely to help when it is:
Accurate
Vivid
Direct
Immediate

26. Next time…
How do we make good behavior more appealing?