Peer Pressure is as Motivating as Money

Photo courtesy Anthony Siitonen via Flickr

“Peer pressure plays major role in environmental behavior,” that’s the headline on a recent press release from the National Science Foundation. “People are more likely to enroll in conservation programs if their neighbors do.”

The authors of the study conducted their research in China — analyzing a program that pays farmers to restore the native forest to low quality crop lands. When surveying the participants, the researchers found that farmers rated the payouts and the participation of others in the community as about equally important in their decision about whether or not to sign up.

So how does the Water Words That Work method help you put this insight to work? In a couple of ways:

• First, you use those foolproof photos to show your audience that other people are already doing whatever it is you want them to do. After all, it’s “monkey see, monkey do.”
• And then you use those words that work, particularly  these two — “working together” and “doing their part” — to emphasize that other people are already doing the right thing.

Click here to the press release from the National Science Foundation.

Thanks to K.J. for sending this press release my way!

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