Do social learning strategies affect the adoption of sustainable behavior? A mixed methods study

Interventions using social norms to encourage sustainable behavior are common, but few explicitly apply cultural evolutionary theory or consider specific social learning strategies. Using a survey, vignette-primed choice test, and semi-structured interviews, we explored how a student population used and were influenced by, social information in their sustainable behavior. We focused on three social learning strategies: conformity, payoff bias and prestige bias. Surprisingly, vignettes framed around these strategies had no or a negative effect on preferences for a sustainable choice, while prior environmental views and demographic status were stronger predictors. By contrast, our survey and interview responses suggested influences consistent with conformity along with influences of friends, family, and knowledgeable individuals, but little evidence of payoff or prestige bias. The results suggest that the operation of social learning strategies in complex socio-cultural environments is nuanced, but also that one-shot social information interventions may not be sufficient to override existing attitudes.