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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 15, 2025

Measuring Light-Switching Behavior Using an Occupancy and Light Data Logger

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Published on: January 16, 2020

Encouraging pro-environmental behavior: Do testimonials by experts work?

Olesya M Savchenko¹, Leah H Palm-Forster², Lusi Xie³

¹Food and Resource Economics Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America.

|October 4, 2023

Summary

An expert testimonial did not increase residents' willingness to pay for native plants. Younger consumers, higher incomes, and existing eco-friendly practices were linked to increased native plant purchases.

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Area of Science:

Environmental Psychology
Conservation Behavior
Behavioral Economics

Background:

Non-pecuniary interventions are explored for motivating pro-environmental behavior.
Effective interventions are crucial, but reporting failures is equally important for scientific progress.
Expert testimonials have shown success in influencing behavior in various contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

To test the effectiveness of an expert testimonial in encouraging residential adoption of native plants.
To assess the impact of expert endorsements on consumers' willingness to pay for environmental goods.
To identify factors influencing the adoption of native plants in residential settings.

Main Methods:

A framed field experiment was conducted with 308 adult participants in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.
The study utilized a video-based expert testimonial intervention.
Willingness to pay for native plants was measured as the primary outcome variable.

Main Results:

The expert testimonial intervention showed no statistically significant effect on residents' willingness to pay for native plants.
Factors positively correlated with native plant purchase intent included younger consumer age, higher income levels, and the adoption of other environmentally friendly lawn practices.
The study highlights the context-dependent nature of testimonial effectiveness.

Conclusions:

Expert testimonials may not be universally effective in promoting specific pro-environmental behaviors like native plant adoption.
Demographic and behavioral factors play a significant role in consumer decisions regarding environmental practices.
Future research should explore alternative or complementary strategies to enhance the adoption of native plants and other sustainable landscape choices.