UX experiments / Persuasion
Persuasion · Field experiment · marked wood
Which sign stopped visitors taking petrified wood?
Signs to stop visitors taking petrified wood. Which sign led to less theft?
Make your call. Which version won, and why? Decide before you open the result. Guessing first is what trains your judgment.
Made your call? See the result
Theft was 1.67% with the first sign and 7.92% with the second.
What happened
Pointing out that many people steal made stealing feel normal, and theft went up almost five-fold.
Why it worked
A warning that “everyone does it” is also a social norm. It can backfire by telling people the bad behavior is common.
The takeaway
Never make the behavior you want to stop sound popular. Say what to do instead.
More experiments to call
Practice the call
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