Effects of informational prompts on energy conservation in college classrooms.
A one-page letter raised light-turn-off rates up to 30% in college classrooms, proving the cheapest prompt can still win.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers mailed a short, signed letter to college professors. The letter asked them to turn off classroom lights when they left.
They tracked lights left on across several classrooms. They used a multiple-baseline design to see if the letter changed behavior.
What they found
The letter worked. Light-turn-off behavior rose 6–13% overall. The worst classrooms improved by 30%.
A simple prompt, delivered once, cut energy waste without any extra rewards or reminders.
How this fits with other research
Choi et al. (2018) got a bigger win on campus by swapping signs for visual feedback displays in restrooms. Their feedback beat prompts, showing that feedback can outrank a one-time letter.
Bigby et al. (2009) extended the idea to parking lots. A “Click It or Ticket” windshield flyer raised seat-belt use by 20 points, proving the prompt still works decades later.
Okinaka et al. (2011) added on-the-spot praise from security guards to prompts. The extra reinforcement lifted safe bike dismounting even more, showing you can top a letter with a quick “nice job.”
Why it matters
You can cut problem behavior in any setting with a single, polite prompt. Try a short note, email, or sign before you build heavier systems. If gains stall, follow Choi’s lead and add visual feedback or a quick reinforcer. One sentence can start the change; data will tell you when to layer on more.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
A multiple-baseline design was used with two target classroom groups (n = 28 and 27) in a study to reduce electrical energy waste in college classrooms. A dittoed letter, signed by a faculty member, was sent to each professor in the prompt condition. In the letter the professor was informed that he or she taught prior to an unscheduled period and was asked to turn off lights following the class. The results showed that after the prompt, the percentage of rooms with lights turned off increased by 13% and 6% in each target group. A further analysis of the 10 classrooms that had the lowest baseline rates of turning lights off indicated a 30% increase after the prompt. This study indicates that a minimum prompt procedure was effective in reducing electrical energy waste. The further significance of these results are also discussed.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 1980 · doi:10.1901/jaba.1980.13-611