Publications [#274129] of Richard P. Larrick

Papers Published

1. Gromet, DM; Kunreuther, H; Larrick, RP, Political ideology affects energy-efficiency attitudes and choices., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 110 no. 23 (June, 2013), pp. 9314-9319 [23630266], [doi]
   (last updated on 2026/01/18)

   Abstract:
   This research demonstrates how promoting the environment can negatively affect adoption of energy efficiency in the United States because of the political polarization surrounding environmental issues. Study 1 demonstrated that more politically conservative individuals were less in favor of investment in energy-efficient technology than were those who were more politically liberal. This finding was driven primarily by the lessened psychological value that more conservative individuals placed on reducing carbon emissions. Study 2 showed that this difference has consequences: In a real-choice context, more conservative individuals were less likely to purchase a more expensive energy-efficient light bulb when it was labeled with an environmental message than when it was unlabeled. These results highlight the importance of taking into account psychological value-based considerations in the individual adoption of energy-efficient technology in the United States and beyond.