Reducing Light Use With Gain-and Loss-Framed Prompts
Field Experiments
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21314751 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Krzysztof J Leoniak (0000-0001-5630-6525, Institute of Psychology, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Lublin, Poland, corresponding author), Wojciech Cwalina (0000-0001-8866-4618, Institute of Psychology, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Lublin, Poland) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 58 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 714-750 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Environment and Behavior (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0013-9165 • E-ISSN: 1552-390X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00139165261435135 |
| OpenAlex | W7154574671 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 91 |
Previous studies have tested various light-switching appeals, except for messages that explicitly focused on the energy gains or losses accompanying manual light control. To fill this research gap, we tested the effectiveness of prompts with different frames (i.e., gain vs. non-loss vs. loss vs. non-gain) of energy-saving arguments promoting turning off the lights in single-stall restrooms across two field experiments (university building: N = 786, and DIY store: N = 2,288). Results revealed that gain- and loss-framed prompts were overall effective in promoting turning off lights compared with the control condition. However, the effectiveness of a particular gain- and loss-framed prompt varied across the occupants’ samples. Despite these differences, explicitly stated gain (i.e., conserving energy) or loss (i.e., wasting energy) from turning off or leaving on the lights, respectively, had the most stable influence as compared with non-loss (i.e., not wasting energy) or non-gain (i.e., not conserving energy) frames
Control (management) · Efficient energy use · Energy (signal processing) · Energy expenditure · Field (mathematics) · Wasting · Building Energy and Comfort Optimization · Color perception and design · Safety Warnings and Signage
Negation
The Field Study in Social Psychology
Applied Logistic Regression Analysis
The Relative Persuasiveness of Gain-Framed Loss-Framed Messages for Encouraging Disease Prevention Behaviors
Strategies for Promoting Proenvironmental Behavior
Environmental Sustainability and Behavioral Science
All Frames Are Not Created Equal
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The validity of self-report measures of proenvironmental behavior
Message Framing and Persuasion
The Influence of Message Framing and Issue Involvement
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Statistical power analyses using G*Power 3.1
The Framing of Decisions and the Psychology of Choice
Navigating sustainably within the urban environment
Framing as a Concept for Health Communication
Prompting change
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The role of conspiracy mentality, reactance, and anxiety in the effectiveness of gain- vs. loss-framed messages promoting Covid-19 protective measures
Perception of delayed environmental risks
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Doing field studies. What is it all about
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A meta-analysis of field-experiments using social norms to promote pro-environmental behaviors
Perception of pro-environmental behavior
Framing and communicating climate change
On the Nature of Reactance and its Role in Persuasive Health Communication
Information quantity and communication effectiveness
Effects of message framing in policy communication on climate change
New Ways to Promote Proenvironmental Behavior
New Ways of Thinking about Environmentalism
Sensitivity to varying gains and losses
The silence of the library
Field Experiments in Social Psychology
Shaping perceptions to motivate healthy behavior
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |