Developing a Scalable Dynamic Norm Menu-Based Intervention to Reduce Meat Consumption

Abstract

How can we curb the current norm of unsustainable levels of meat consumption? Research on dynamic norms finds that learning that others are starting to eat less meat can inspire people to follow suit. Across four field experiments, we test efforts to scale dynamic-norm messages by incorporating them into restaurant and web-based menus. Studies 1–3 find increases in vegetarian orders when dynamic norms are included in menus (1–2.5 percentage points), although this effect does not always reach statistical significance and varies across populations and analytic models. In Study 4, dynamic norms significantly reduced vegetarian orders. These results raise two critical questions. First, where and with whom should a dynamic norm message reduce meat consumption? Our field data and past theory point to non-high socioeconomic contexts, and contexts where the reference group of people who have changed is meaningful to consumers. Second, how can the treatment be strengthened? Over five online experiments, we find that the visibility of the messages can be greatly improved, and more relatable norm referents can be selected. Although impacts on food orders appear modest, the minimal costs of scaling menu-based dynamic norm messages and the possibility of improving effect sizes make this a promising approach.

When does a social norm catch the worm? Disentangling social normative influences on sustainable consumption behaviour

“…To that end, we study the role of contextual factors that might account for relative differences regarding the effectiveness of different social normative message frames. Since descriptive norms, in its original sense as static information regarding the prevalence of a desired or undesired target behaviour, can produce undesired boomerang effects (e.g., Cialdini, 2003), we focus on a type of descriptive norm frame that derives from an emerging stream of literature—shaping descriptive norms in a dynamic style (Loschelder et al, 2019; Sparkman & Walton, 2017, 2019; Sparkman, Weitz, Robinson, Malhotra, & Walton, 2020). The overall research framework is depicted in Figure 1.…”

Effectiveness of a theory-informed documentary to reduce consumption of meat and animal products: Three randomized controlled experiments

“…These pledges conceptually resembled those of a previous study, in which willingness to take certain pledges mediated the intervention effect [31]. To additionally invoke social norms [32][33][34], this questionnaire item also stated that "Many of our previous Stanford research participants have pledged to eat and drink less meat and animal products after watching this documentary".…”

Testing the effects of nudging for reduced salt intake among online food delivery customers: a research protocol for a randomized controlled trial

“…This study is one of first interventional trials in China and to the authors' knowledge in Asia that uses behavioral insights and nudge theories to promote customers' online ordering behaviors towards salt reduction. Existing similar studies are mostly conducted in western countries, e.g., Canada [26], Australia [15], the United Kingdom [13][14][15][16][17][18], and the United States [14]. Given that western cuisines and taste preferences are different from those in Asia, our study may contribute to the body of references for other Asian countries with similar cooking and eating practices.…”

“…A few studies have applied nudges to affect consumers food choices. In these studies, researchers deployed intervention strategies, such as position nudge in menu design to affect consumers' food choices and measured the outcomes by caloric intake [11][12][13][14], fat [11,13], sugar [11], sodium [11,12] or salt, fruit and vegetables [15], and vegetarian [16,17]. Most of the studies were conducted on online food ordering platforms for workplace and school canteens [11,15], rather than on commercial food ordering systems that serve the whole population.…”