Shahzeen Attari: Human behavior and energy consumption: Understanding decisions about energy

Summary

This video explores the intersection of human behavior, energy consumption, and technology. It highlights three projects: understanding people's perceptions of energy consumption, the ease of adopting energy-saving behaviors, and the impact of real-time feedback on correcting misconceptions. Findings reveal that people often underestimate the energy use of high-consumption devices and tend to focus on simpler behaviors like turning off lights. The speaker discusses how factors like numeracy and pro-environmental attitudes influence accuracy, and introduces the Tapestry project, which aims to use real-time feedback to change energy behaviors across different income groups.

Takeaways

• 😀 People often overestimate or underestimate the energy usage of appliances, leading to ineffective energy-saving behaviors.
• 😀 Turning off lights is seen as the most common energy-saving action, though it might not be the most impactful.
• 😀 People tend to have poor perceptions about the energy consumption of common appliances like laptops and dishwashers.
• 😀 Numeracy and pro-environmental attitudes help improve the accuracy of energy consumption perceptions.
• 😀 Individuals who already practice energy-saving behaviors may have worse perceptions of energy consumption.
• 😀 There is a motivational gap when it comes to adopting large-scale energy-saving behaviors due to perceived difficulty.
• 😀 The Tapestry Project uses real-time feedback to correct energy consumption misperceptions in a green building.
• 😀 Real-time feedback, especially in dollar terms, helps improve energy-saving behaviors and attitudes.
• 😀 The Tapestry Project focuses on income group differences to understand energy-saving behaviors in diverse populations.
• 😀 Feedback comparing an individual’s energy use with neighbors’ can be a strong motivator for behavior change.
• 😀 Many participants did not know how to dispose of CFL bulbs correctly, showing a gap in eco-friendly knowledge.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the research discussed in the transcript?

The main focus of the research is to understand how people interact with technology and nature, particularly in terms of energy consumption and how their perceptions of energy use influence their behaviors.

What did the first project investigate in terms of people's perceptions of energy consumption?

The first project investigated what people perceive as the most effective ways to conserve energy and how accurate these perceptions are. It also explored the factors that predict the accuracy of these perceptions.

What is the difference between curtailment and energy efficiency, and how does it relate to the research?

Curtailment involves doing the same behavior but reducing the frequency or extent of it (e.g., turning off lights, driving less), whereas energy efficiency focuses on using more efficient technologies (e.g., buying energy-efficient bulbs, using hybrid cars). The research highlights that many people focus on curtailment but experts recommend prioritizing energy efficiency.

What did the research reveal about the accuracy of people's perceptions of energy consumption?

The research found that people tend to overestimate the energy consumption of low-energy devices and significantly underestimate the energy consumption of high-energy devices, such as dishwashers. This misperception can lead to ineffective energy-saving behaviors.

What factors were found to predict the accuracy of people's perceptions of energy consumption?

The accuracy of perceptions was found to be higher among individuals who are numerate (understand quantitative data) and those with pro-environmental attitudes. Interestingly, individuals already engaging in energy-saving behaviors often had worse perceptions, possibly due to a focusing effect on their own actions.

What were the key findings from the second project regarding the ease of adopting energy-saving behaviors?

The second project showed that people find many energy-saving behaviors relatively easy to adopt, yet they still do not engage in them. The key finding is that people should focus on behaviors that save a larger percentage of energy and are easier to implement.

What did the research suggest about how to encourage people to adopt energy-saving behaviors?

The research suggests targeting behaviors that people perceive as easier to implement. For example, encouraging people to carpool, even though it's harder than tuning a car, may be more effective in driving broader behavior change.

How does the motivational deficit model explain why people don't adopt energy-saving behaviors?

The motivational deficit model suggests that people don't necessarily lack information, but rather they lack the motivation or incentives to act. Factors such as cost, time, effort, and social norms are significant motivators.

What does the tapestry project aim to achieve?

The tapestry project aims to correct people's misperceptions of energy consumption using real-time feedback and to observe how behavior changes as a result. It also explores how energy-saving behaviors vary across different income groups and the effectiveness of various feedback mechanisms.

What preliminary data was gathered from the tapestry project, and what insights were gained?

Preliminary data from the tapestry project revealed that most residents would use an energy monitoring device if it were free, with a significant drop in willingness if they had to pay for it. Residents preferred receiving feedback in terms of money saved rather than comparisons to neighbors. Additionally, very few knew how to correctly dispose of a CFL bulb.