The impact of metering in a natural resource crisis: a social dilemma analysis
The impact of metering in a natural resource crisis: a social dilemma analysis
A field study and scenario study were conducted to investigate the impact of a structural solution in the management of a natural resource dilemma: the effects of individual metering in a water shortage. It was predicted that metering would be beneficial in promoting conservation, in particular, when people experienced a shortage. Consistent with expectations, the results of both studies revealed that conservation efforts were greater among metered (vs. unmetered) participants when they perceived the water shortage as severe. Additional analyses suggested that the positive effect of metering could be partially explained by a greater concern with the collective costs of overconsumption during the drought. Our findings suggest that structural solutions, such as metering, may produce concomitant effects that extend beyond the outcome structure of the social dilemma.
735-750
Van Vugt, Mark
1ec60aab-4333-4015-9c48-2937effd4d5d
Samuelson, Charles D.
27dd0cd6-101e-42d6-a5d8-0802ad3db6eb
1999
Van Vugt, Mark
1ec60aab-4333-4015-9c48-2937effd4d5d
Samuelson, Charles D.
27dd0cd6-101e-42d6-a5d8-0802ad3db6eb
Van Vugt, Mark and Samuelson, Charles D.
(1999)
The impact of metering in a natural resource crisis: a social dilemma analysis.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 25 (6), .
Abstract
A field study and scenario study were conducted to investigate the impact of a structural solution in the management of a natural resource dilemma: the effects of individual metering in a water shortage. It was predicted that metering would be beneficial in promoting conservation, in particular, when people experienced a shortage. Consistent with expectations, the results of both studies revealed that conservation efforts were greater among metered (vs. unmetered) participants when they perceived the water shortage as severe. Additional analyses suggested that the positive effect of metering could be partially explained by a greater concern with the collective costs of overconsumption during the drought. Our findings suggest that structural solutions, such as metering, may produce concomitant effects that extend beyond the outcome structure of the social dilemma.
This record has no associated files available for download.
More information
Published date: 1999
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 18508
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/18508
ISSN: 0146-1672
PURE UUID: dd45a3c4-fe54-4199-8d25-83139fd1f1e0
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 12 Dec 2005
Last modified: 11 Dec 2021 14:19
Export record
Contributors
Author:
Mark Van Vugt
Author:
Charles D. Samuelson
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics