In an effort to encourage students to reduce the amount of water being used at the university gym, administrators put up a sign asking students to take shorter showers. However, water consumption did not decrease sufficiently, and some students even retaliated by taking long showers. Why did the sign fail to reduce water usage?
A) Students did not see the sign.
B) Students did not read the sign.
C) The sign did not involve psychological processes that successfully change behavior.
D) The sign did not create the feeling of a social dilemma.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The sign merely provided a rational reason for the behavior change, but failed to address the underlying psychological factors that are necessary for behavior change to occur. Students need to feel a personal motivation or social pressure that makes them want to change their behavior. Simply telling them to conserve water is unlikely to create this motivation.

In an Effort to Encourage Students to Reduce the Amount