Do We Recommend Lower Electricity Consumption after Priming with Pro-social and Intrinsic Values?

The standard approach to changing people’s energy consumption, which involves information about appropriately structured economic incentives, is becoming increasingly questioned. In an experiment, we investigated if it is possible to affect the electricity consumption recommended for the average American citizen by priming participants with either pro-social aspects of the “American stereotype” (intrinsic values) or by superficial and self-enhancing aspects of the “American stereotype” (extrinsic values). The results showed that the participants that were primed with extrinsic values recommended significantly higher electricity consumption for the average American, as compared to both the intrinsic value priming condition and to a neutral control condition.