C3

Commitment device

Research. A field experiment with a hotel revealed that reuse of towels were 25% higher amongst guests who made a pledge to reuse towels at check-in and wore a “Friend of the Earth” lapel pin to show their commitment to this pledge.

Baca-Motes, K et al. (2012). Commitment and behavior change: Evidence from the field.

Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality.

Case study. The website ‘Stickk.com’ is based on commitment devices. It allows individuals or groups to make commitments for a specific goal eg. quit smoking. If the person does not stick to their commitment, they need to donate money to a charity.

Thought starters.

» Ask people to make pledges for a specific action » Make it visible to remind them of this commitment » Get people to share their pledges with friends and family