Money or Morals - Behavioural Insights and the Environment
Most people agree that we should behave in such a way as to minimize waste and reduce our impact on the environment. Why then do we persist in over-using water, wasting food and in general over-consuming?
This lecture shares the results of a field experiment in Singapore, using different incentives in motivating water conservation. In 1,000 Singaporean households, regular feedback was given, with informative, normative and monetary incentives provided to different groups. Its aim was to find out whether people responded more to money or to moral incentives. Assoc Prof Leong will also use behavioural insights to speak about apparent irrationalities in environmental behaviour in general.
Assoc Prof Leong Ching has graduate degrees in philosophy, information technology and journalism. Before joining the university, she had a career in television and newspaper journalism.
MEET THE SPEAKER
Co-Director, Institute of Water Policy and Asst Prof, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore
 | Leong Ching's work lies in making sense of apparently irrational environmental behavior, whether in refusal to use recycled water, underinvesting in water utilities, or decision making in building dams and managing rivers. She uses narratives, perceptions and stories to understand collective public behavior as well as environmental identities. Her field research is focused on water institutions and governance in Asia. |
This event is presented by The HEAD Foundation, a Singapore-based think tank devoted to research and policy influence in education and leadership, for development in Asia.
Admission is free.
Disclaimer: The views expressed by the speaker in this talk are their own and do not represent the opinions of The HEAD Foundation.
