Social incentive factors in interventions promoting sustainable behaviors

Phu Nguyen-Van (1, 2) , Anne Stenger (3) , Tuyen Tiet (3, 4)

1 EconomiX - EconomiX
2 TIMAS, Thang Long University
3 BETA - Bureau d'Économie Théorique et Appliquée
4 University of Management and Technology [Hanoi]

Based on a meta-analysis, this paper highlights the strength and relevance of several social incentive factors concerning pro-environmental behaviors, including social influence, network factors (like network size, network connection and leadership), trust in others, and trust in institutions. Firstly, our results suggest that social influence is necessary for the emergence of pro-environmental behaviors. More specifically, an internal social influence (i.e., motivating people to change their perceptions and attitudes) is essential to promote pro-environmental behaviors. Secondly, network connection encourages pro-environmental behaviors, meaning that the effectiveness of a conservation policy can be improved if connections among individuals are increased. Finally, trust in institutions can dictate individual behaviors to shape policy design and generate desired policy outcomes.

Mots clés: Trust; Social incentive; Social influence; Pro-environmental behavior; Network; Meta-analysis

Domaines: Environnement et Société; Economies et finances

Phu Nguyen-Van, Anne Stenger, Tuyen Tiet. Social incentive factors in interventions promoting sustainable behaviors: A meta-analysis. PLoS ONE, 2021, 16 (12), 27 p. ⟨10.1371/journal.pone.0260932⟩. ⟨hal-03472060⟩