Eckhardt, Simon (2022) The Influence of Subsidies on Social Norms in the Case of Electric Vehicles. Master thesis, Psychology.
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Abstract
Considering that the consequences of the climate crisis are becoming increasingly noticeable, CO2 emissions need to be reduced drastically. As a major emissions contributor, the transportation sector requires a swift transition toward sustainability. A low-emission alternative to predominantly used internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) are electric vehicles (EVs) that are often subsidized. Subsidies were shown to be effective in promoting EV adoption, but the financial benefits do not solely account for the subsidies’ effectiveness. Rather, a governmental subsidy, additionally, signals that EV adoption should increase, potentially affecting social norms this way. Therefore, we investigated whether governmental subsidies have an influence on social norms regarding EVs. We tested whether descriptive, dynamic, and injunctive social norms differ for EV drivers who are either aware or unaware of the subsidy for EV purchases. Results from a sample of 2392 Dutch-speaking EV drivers indicated that subsidy awareness is positively associated with the individuals’ perceived descriptive norms that EVs are not driven by the majority. Moreover, people who are aware of the subsidy have stronger dynamic norms and, hence, perceive that more and more people are driving EVs, compared to those unaware of the subsidy. Due to methodological issues, injunctive norms were not included in the analyses. Trying to understand the mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of subsidies, this study demonstrates the relatedness of subsidies and social norms.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
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| Supervisor name: | Kok, C.A. and Werff, E. van der |
| Degree programme: | Psychology |
| Differentiation route: | Environmental Psychology (EP) [Master Psychology] |
| Date Deposited: | 29 Sep 2022 07:42 |
| Last Modified: | 29 Sep 2022 07:42 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/1445 |
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