Synergistic effects of nudges and boosts in environmental education: Evidence from a field experiment
通过田野实验，研究了环境教育项目中助推（设定节能目标）与增强（玩“公地悲剧”游戏）对学生环保态度和节能行为的短期与长期影响，发现两者结合能持续提升节能意识与行动。
This study investigated the short-term and long-term impact of nudging and boosting within an environmental education program on students' environmental attitudes and energy-saving actions. We conducted a randomized assignment across primary and junior high schools, employing four study settings: board game-based environmental education without nudges or boosts (control); with nudges (setting energy-saving goals in a reflection session); with boosts (a game with a “tragedy of the commons” setting); and with both nudges and boosts. In the game with the “tragedy of the commons” setting, the specification was that pursuing self-interest would harm those of the entire group as well as one's own interests; the aim was to enhance environmental literacy by conveying the importance of cooperation through information. We found that students subjected to the boost became significantly more environmentally conscious in the game and set more goals in the goal-setting nudge task. A follow-up survey was conducted one- and three-months post-intervention. This revealed that students in the nudge-and-boost group, who set higher goals, displayed increased awareness of energy conservation, improved environmental attitudes, and greater adoption of energy-saving practices relative to the control group. The results suggest that combining nudges with boosts sustains the long-term effects of environmental education. • Field experiment conducted on environmental education. • Nudge treatment setting goals for energy-saving actions. • Boost treatment playing a game with “the tragedy of the commons” setting. • Students in the nudge-and-boost group exhibited greater energy-saving awareness. • These students developed energy-saving actions after one month of education. • Effects of the environmental education persisted three months later.