Ai et al., 2016: Encouraging to join lending teams, especially when emphasizing local social norms, increased loans' solicitation and contributions among micro and small businesses over a week
Reference:
Ai, W., Chen, R., Chen, Y., Mei, Q., & Phillips, W. (2016). Recommending teams promotes prosocial lending in online microfinance. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(52), 14944-14948.
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64,800 people on Kiva, an online platform to solicit zero-interest loans to help micro and small businesses in developing countries were randomized to different emails encouraging them to join lending teams. Although all the emails were effective relative to a no-contact control condition, the most effective email emphasized local social norms (“Other lenders who live near you enjoy being a part of these teams”). In turn, joining a team was associated with significantly higher contributions over the next week.
Psychological Process:
Need
Need to BelongWhat Desired Meaning is At Stake?
What is the Person Trying to Understand?
To Feel Connected, Included, Respected, and Valued by OthersApproach to Desired Meaning
What about it?
Link Belonging to a Behavior or Attitude to Motivate Positive ChangeHow?
Psychological Question Addressed
What is typical or valued here?What is typical or valued here?Changing beliefs about social norms to motivate positive behaviorsPsychological Question Addressed
What is typical or valued here?Psychological Process 2:
Psychological Process 3:
Social Area:
Civic behavior
Intervention Technique:
Direct labeling, of social norms