This work focuses on residential energy consumption and assesses the effects of persuasive smartphone apps promoting energy sufficiency (i.e. a reduction in the absolute amounts of energy demand, aimed at meeting people’s basic needs within ecological limits) to support the transition to a low-carbon society. Persuasive apps have increasingly spread worldwide, welcomed as promising tools to implement highly interactive behaviour change techniques. Rigorous analyses providing evidence on their effects are however still missing. Moreover, the optimal design of their features has still to be identified. Previous research has found a lack of scientific rigour in empirical evaluations of their effects, poor grounding of app features on behavioural theories, and a tendency to rely on technocratic approaches. Furthermore, they are at risk of only producing short-term, transient effects. Scholars have therefore called for more research on persuasive apps, aimed at investigating their actual impacts (also in the long term and across user sub-groups) and the level of engagement by different app features. Tackling these research challenges, I collect evidence on the effectiveness of three app-based interventions targeting energy saving in households, that were run in Switzerland between 2016 and 2022. For the first two cases (enCompass and Social Power), under quasi-experimental research designs I perform fixed effects panel data regressions aimed at estimating the average treatment effect on samples of self-selected treated households, both in the short- and in the long-term (up to two full years after the end of the intervention). I also look for possible heterogeneous effects on varying the households’ characteristics and the level of intensity of app use. For the third case (Social Power Plus), instead, I analyse two questionnaires that were administered to self-selected treated households and investigate the type and intensity of app-mediated interactions between them, to understand their evaluation of the app’s features and verify whether a peer-to-peer social learning process was activated. The enCompass and Social Power app-based interventions were significantly effective in reducing consumption and carbon emissions during the intervention, with average treatment effects respectively of 4.95% and 9.23% (statistical significance at the 0.05 level; effect size, measured through Cohen’s d, respectively equal to 0.35 and 0.51). Analysis of the Social Power Plus case suggests that these results are mostly related with use of app features focusing on the individual level (energy consumption feedback and goal setting), which were more appreciated by app users than features acting at the social level (sharing of experiences on the in-app forum). However, one year after the end of the interventions, the statistical significance of the treatment effects disappeared. Practical significance estimates show that energy consumption reverted to pre-intervention (if not higher) levels. These results confirm the problem of long-term effectiveness that already emerged in literature for other types of behavioural interventions and seem to challenge the body of literature that values social influence techniques as beneficial for a long-lasting change. The evidence I found tends to dampen enthusiasm about behavioural policies based on persuasive app use: taken in isolation, persuasive apps seem not to be effective in driving the long-lasting change required by the energy and climate transitions —not even when leveraging social influence techniques. Future research might explore effectiveness of use of persuasive apps in broader, trans-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder “living lab” processes aimed at questioning and collectively re-designing shared cultural and social meanings, material components, and competences that characterise current energy-demanding social practices.

Questo lavoro valuta gli effetti delle app per smartphone che persuadono alla sufficienza energetica (cioè alla riduzione della domanda di energia, per soddisfare i bisogni umani primari nel rispetto dei limiti ecologici) e alla transizione verso una società a bassa emissione di carbonio. Le app persuasive sono strumenti promettenti per favorire i cambiamenti dei comportamenti, tuttavia la loro efficacia non è ancora stata provata in modo rigoroso. Inoltre, non è ancora chiaro quali delle funzioni che esse offrono favoriscano il maggior coinvolgimento dei loro utilizzatori. Precedenti studi hanno riscontrato un ridotto rigore scientifico nelle analisi empiriche di valutazione della loro efficacia, una scarsa relazione con le teorie comportamentali e la tendenza ad affidarsi ad approcci tecnocratici. Inoltre, vi è il rischio che gli effetti siano solo transitori e relativi al breve periodo. Diversi studiosi hanno pertanto suggerito di intensificare la ricerca su queste app, indagandone gli effetti reali, anche a lungo termine e su vari sottogruppi di utenti. In questo quadro, il mio lavoro valuta l’efficacia di tre interventi basati su app e mirati al risparmio energetico nelle economie domestiche, realizzati in Svizzera tra il 2016 e il 2022. Per i primi due casi (enCompass e Social Power), nell’ambito di disegni quasi sperimentali e mediante regressioni a effetti fissi su dati panel, ho stimato l’effetto medio del trattamento su campioni di economie domestiche auto-selezionate, sia a breve sia a lungo termine (fino a due anni dalla fine dell'intervento). Inoltre, ho stimato l’eterogeneità degli effetti, al variare delle caratteristiche delle economie domestiche e del livello di intensità d'uso delle app. Per il terzo caso (Social Power Plus) ho invece analizzato dati di uso dell’app e due questionari “pre-post” per un gruppo di economie domestiche auto-selezionate per usare l’app, indagando il tipo e l'intensità delle interazioni con l’app e tra di essi. Gli interventi basati sulle app enCompass e Social Power sono stati efficaci nel ridurre in modo significativo i consumi e le emissioni di anidride carbonica durante l'intervento, con effetti medi del trattamento rispettivamente pari al 4.95% e al 9.23% (significatività statistica al livello 0.05; dimensione dell'effetto, misurata attraverso la d di Cohen, rispettivamente pari a 0.35 e 0.51). L'analisi del caso Social Power Plus suggerisce che questi risultati siano per lo più riconducibili alle funzioni individuali dell'app (feedback sul consumo energetico e obiettivi di cambiamento), che sono infatti state apprezzate maggiormente dagli utenti rispetto alle funzioni di tipo sociale (condivisione delle esperienze sul forum interno all’app). Un anno dopo la fine degli interventi, tuttavia, la significatività statistica degli effetti del trattamento è scomparsa. Le stime di significatività pratica mostrano inoltre che il consumo di energia è tornato a livelli precedenti agli interventi, se non superiori ad essi. Questi risultati confermano il problema dell'efficacia a lungo termine già emerso in letteratura e sembrano in contrasto con il filone di ricerca secondo il quale le tecniche di influenza sociale sono efficaci nel produrre un cambiamento duraturo. I risultati ottenuti tendono a raffreddare gli entusiasmi circa l’attuazione di politiche basate sull'uso di app persuasive: da sole, queste non sembrano poter guidare un cambiamento duraturo a favore della necessaria transizione energetico-climatica, nemmeno quando fanno leva su tecniche di influenza sociale. Future ricerche potrebbero esplorare l'efficacia dell'uso delle app persuasive all'interno di più ampi processi transdisciplinari "living lab, volti a mettere in discussione e a ri-orientare secondo logiche collettive e partecipative i significati culturali e sociali, le componenti materiali e le competenze relative alle attuali pratiche sociali di consumo di energia.

(2023). Home Sweet Energy-Sufficient Home: The potential of persuasive apps for households’ energy and climate transition. (Tesi di dottorato, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 2023).

Home Sweet Energy-Sufficient Home: The potential of persuasive apps for households’ energy and climate transition

CELLINA, FRANCESCA
2023

Abstract

This work focuses on residential energy consumption and assesses the effects of persuasive smartphone apps promoting energy sufficiency (i.e. a reduction in the absolute amounts of energy demand, aimed at meeting people’s basic needs within ecological limits) to support the transition to a low-carbon society. Persuasive apps have increasingly spread worldwide, welcomed as promising tools to implement highly interactive behaviour change techniques. Rigorous analyses providing evidence on their effects are however still missing. Moreover, the optimal design of their features has still to be identified. Previous research has found a lack of scientific rigour in empirical evaluations of their effects, poor grounding of app features on behavioural theories, and a tendency to rely on technocratic approaches. Furthermore, they are at risk of only producing short-term, transient effects. Scholars have therefore called for more research on persuasive apps, aimed at investigating their actual impacts (also in the long term and across user sub-groups) and the level of engagement by different app features. Tackling these research challenges, I collect evidence on the effectiveness of three app-based interventions targeting energy saving in households, that were run in Switzerland between 2016 and 2022. For the first two cases (enCompass and Social Power), under quasi-experimental research designs I perform fixed effects panel data regressions aimed at estimating the average treatment effect on samples of self-selected treated households, both in the short- and in the long-term (up to two full years after the end of the intervention). I also look for possible heterogeneous effects on varying the households’ characteristics and the level of intensity of app use. For the third case (Social Power Plus), instead, I analyse two questionnaires that were administered to self-selected treated households and investigate the type and intensity of app-mediated interactions between them, to understand their evaluation of the app’s features and verify whether a peer-to-peer social learning process was activated. The enCompass and Social Power app-based interventions were significantly effective in reducing consumption and carbon emissions during the intervention, with average treatment effects respectively of 4.95% and 9.23% (statistical significance at the 0.05 level; effect size, measured through Cohen’s d, respectively equal to 0.35 and 0.51). Analysis of the Social Power Plus case suggests that these results are mostly related with use of app features focusing on the individual level (energy consumption feedback and goal setting), which were more appreciated by app users than features acting at the social level (sharing of experiences on the in-app forum). However, one year after the end of the interventions, the statistical significance of the treatment effects disappeared. Practical significance estimates show that energy consumption reverted to pre-intervention (if not higher) levels. These results confirm the problem of long-term effectiveness that already emerged in literature for other types of behavioural interventions and seem to challenge the body of literature that values social influence techniques as beneficial for a long-lasting change. The evidence I found tends to dampen enthusiasm about behavioural policies based on persuasive app use: taken in isolation, persuasive apps seem not to be effective in driving the long-lasting change required by the energy and climate transitions —not even when leveraging social influence techniques. Future research might explore effectiveness of use of persuasive apps in broader, trans-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder “living lab” processes aimed at questioning and collectively re-designing shared cultural and social meanings, material components, and competences that characterise current energy-demanding social practices.
GUI, MARCO
VITTUCCI MARZETTI, GIUSEPPE
Behaviour change; Persuasive apps; Energy sufficiency; Households; Smartphone app
Behaviour change; Persuasive apps; Energy sufficiency; Households; Smartphone app
SPS/10 - SOCIOLOGIA DELL'AMBIENTE E DEL TERRITORIO
English
19-mag-2023
35
2021/2022
open
(2023). Home Sweet Energy-Sufficient Home: The potential of persuasive apps for households’ energy and climate transition. (Tesi di dottorato, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 2023).
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/416359
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