10. Sense of Belonging with Jon Hutchinson

So let's go for the first study.

So first study is almost a bit of a random study to begin with on the face of it, because it's not a study done in education.

I know the studies two and three we're going to talk about are.

So the first study I wanted to talk to you about is a really interesting study.

So it's done by Goldstein et al in 2008.

In my mind, I call it the TAL study.

I should probably say as well, the co-author of this study, a guy called Robert Cialdini, is one of my favorite authors.

I don't know if you've come across his work much before.

He's basically seen as like the godfather of the psychology of persuasion and kind of persuasion and influence.

His book on it is incredible.

And so when I saw he was the co-author, that's usually a good indication that it's going to be an interesting study.

So I'll tell you the setup of the study.

And I've got one or two questions that I'm curious to see your thoughts about the implications of it.

So the basic setup of the study is hotels want guests to reuse their towels.

If you reuse your towel when you stay at a hotel, it saves the hotel money.

There's less laundry costs, less maid costs, less detergents that you need to buy.

So it's in their interest.

So to see how they could get guests to reuse their towels more, half the participants, unbeknownst to them, they got a message that basically says, if you reuse your towel, it will help save the environment.

You'll be a green moral person and you'll do your bit for society.

So that was group one.

The second group got the same sort of message about how it would be good for the environment, but they also got just one or two extra sentences, which was, oh, and 75% of people usually reuse their towel, kind of making this sort of bandwagon group.

You know, everyone else is doing it, so you should as well.

And what they found, like the results were pretty clear.

Guess who'd got this sort of bandwagon message, everyone else is reusing their towel.

They were 20% more likely to reuse their towel than those who just got the green message.