
You have already added 0 works in your ORCID record related to the merged Research product.
You have already added 0 works in your ORCID record related to the merged Research product.
<script type="text/javascript">
<!--
document.write('<div id="oa_widget"></div>');
document.write('<script type="text/javascript" src="https://beta.openaire.eu/index.php?option=com_openaire&view=widget&format=raw&projectId=undefined&type=result"></script>');
-->
</script>
Promoting electricity conservation through behavior change: A study protocol for a web-based multiple-arm parallel randomized controlled trial

Background and aims As a part of the framework of the EU-funded Energy efficiency through Behavior CHANge Transition (ENCHANT) project, the present paper intends to provide a “Research Protocol” of a web-based trial to: (i) assess the effectiveness of behavioral intervention strategies––either single or in combination––on electricity saving, and (ii) unravel the psychological factors contributing to intervention effectiveness in households across Europe. Methods and materials Six distinct interventions (i.e., information provision, collective vs. individual message framing, social norms, consumption feedback, competitive elements, and commitment strategies) targeting electricity saving in households from six European countries (i.e., Austria, Germany, Italy, Norway, Romania, and Türkiye) are evaluated, with an initial expected samples of about 1500 households per country randomly assigned to 12 intervention groups and two control groups, and data is collected through an ad-hoc online platform. The primary outcome is the weekly electricity consumption normalized to the last seven days before measurement per person per household. Secondary outcomes are the peak consumption during the last day before measurement and the self-reported implementation of electricity saving behaviors (e.g., deicing the refrigerator). The underlying psychological factors expected to mediate and/or moderate the intervention effects on these outcomes are intentions to save electricity, perceived difficulty of saving energy, attitudes to electricity saving, electricity saving habit strength, social norms to save electricity, personal norms, collective efficacy, emotional reaction to electricity consumption, and national identity. The intervention effectiveness will be evaluated by comparing psychological factors and consumption variables before and after the intervention, leading to a 14 (groups including 2 control groups) × 6 (time) mixed factorial design, with one factor between (group) and one factor within subjects (time)–6 measurements of the psychological factors and 6 readings of the electricity meters, which gives then 5 weeks of electricity consumption. Results Data collection for the present RCT started in January 2023, and by October 2023 data collection will conclude. Discussion Upon establishing feasibility and effectiveness, the outcomes of this study will assist policymakers, municipalities, NGOs, and other communal entities in identifying impactful interventions tailored to their unique circumstances and available resources. Researchers will benefit from a flexible, structured tool that allows the design, implementation and monitoring of complex interventions protocols. Crucially, the intervention participants will benefit from electricity saving strategies, fostering immediate effectiveness of the interventions in real-life contexts. Trial registration This trial was preregistered in the Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/9vtn4.
- Roma Tre University Italy
- Roma Tre University Italy
- Public Library of Science (PLoS) United States
- İzmir University of Economics Turkey
- Johannes Kepler University of Linz Austria
Sociology and Political Science, Environmental economics, Economics, Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy Innovation, Social Sciences, Sustainable Construction and Green Building, Sustainable Behavior, Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law, FOS: Economics and business, Study Protocol, Engineering, Intervention (counseling), Electricity, Sociology, Psychological intervention, Humans, Psychology, Business, Life Style, Household Energy Use, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Energy Conservation, Marketing, Psychiatry, Internet, Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior, Building and Construction, Social science, FOS: Sociology, Europe, Consumption (sociology), FOS: Psychology, Research Design, Pro-environmental Behavior, Electrical engineering, Environmental Science, Physical Sciences
Sociology and Political Science, Environmental economics, Economics, Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy Innovation, Social Sciences, Sustainable Construction and Green Building, Sustainable Behavior, Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law, FOS: Economics and business, Study Protocol, Engineering, Intervention (counseling), Electricity, Sociology, Psychological intervention, Humans, Psychology, Business, Life Style, Household Energy Use, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Energy Conservation, Marketing, Psychiatry, Internet, Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior, Building and Construction, Social science, FOS: Sociology, Europe, Consumption (sociology), FOS: Psychology, Research Design, Pro-environmental Behavior, Electrical engineering, Environmental Science, Physical Sciences
citations This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).1 popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.Average influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).Average impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.Average
