Determinants of electricity-saving behaviors after the Great East Japan Earthquake: The effects of descriptive norms

Abstract

The present study examined the determinants of electricity-saving behaviors after the Great East Japan Earthquake among university students in 5 areas: Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, and Kansai. After the earthquake, Japan experienced severe electricity shortages, and Japanese citizens were asked to save electricity. Electricity saving in public spaces, such as the use of dimmer lights, was encouraged. Previous studies have shown that descriptive norms, which is the cognition or presence that most others conduct the behavior, can affect environmental behaviors (e.g., Schultz, 1999). In the present study, we examined the hypothesis that observing the electricity-saving behaviors in public spaces serve as descriptive norms. The total number of valid responses was 610. The results showed that experience of electricity saving in public spaces and perceived others’ behavior affected the subjects’ electricity-saving behavior. The changes in one’s values, seriousness perception of energy issues, experience of planned blackouts and the perception of the shortage of electricity supply also affected electricity-saving behaviors. The current study confirmed that descriptive norms impact on electricity-saving behaviors, even when the electricity supply is limited after a disaster. The effectiveness of electricity saving in public spaces on electricity-saving behaviors was discussed.