Norm Nudges in Neighbourhoods: When Do They Work and Why?

Norm nudges aim to influence behaviour by leveraging social norms. While norm nudges can be a powerful tool to create behavioural change, they will only be effective when designed and applied with a profound understanding of why and when they work. This chapter explains that norm nudges can follow two ‘routes’ when trying to change behaviour: First, norm nudges can attempt to correct people when they underestimate others’ pro-environmental behaviour and
convictions. Second, norm nudges can selectively highlight information about others’ environmental sustainability. Further, we argue that norm nudges need to be tailored to the social and physical context of the intervention. We illustrate this point by explaining how the socio-spatial set-up of neighbourhoods affects the credibility and relevance of norm nudges. The chapter concludes with a practical guide for policy-makers on how to design and apply norm nudges in neighbourhood settings.