Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Nest Building Behavior as an Early Indicator of Behavioral Deficits in Mice
Published on: October 19, 2019
Buildings behaving badly: a behavioral experiment on how different motivational frames influence residential energy
Jillian Student1, Elissaios Papyrakis2,3, Pieter van Beukering4
11Environmental Policy and Environmental Systems Analysis Groups, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 4, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Heating buildings contributes to approximately 36 % of Europe's energy demand and several EU member states have adopted mandatory energy labels to improve energy efficiency by promoting home weatherization investments. This paper focuses on the perception of the energy label for residential buildings in the Netherlands and the role of different frames (egoistic, biospheric and social norms and neutral frames) in motivating adoption of energy labels for housing. We used a behavioral email experiment and an online survey to investigate these motivational factors. We find that biospheric frames are weaker than the other three motivational frames in terms of engaging interest in the energy label, but that the biospheric frame results in higher willingness to pay (WTP) for the energy label. We also find that age (rather than income) correlates with higher WTP for home energy labels.
Related Concept Videos
Framing Effects
The Stanford Prison Experiment
Secondary Motives: Power Motivation and Achievement Motivation
Power motivation is characterized by the desire to influence, control, or have an impact on others. It is shaped by an individual's experiences, social environment, and cultural context. People with high power motivation are...
Secondary Motives: Affiliation Motivation and Aggression Motivation
Frames
Frames are versatile and widely used in various applications such as structural supports for beams and columns, automobile chassis construction, and in the construction...
Light as Energy
Photons
A photon is a discrete electromagnetic particle or bundle of energy. Photons are characterized by their frequency, wavelength, and amplitude, similar to the properties of a wave. Waves with higher frequencies transmit more energy and have shorter wavelengths than longer wavelengths that transmit...

