Positive messages v Negative messages

Positive messages encouraging good behaviors while showing them WORKS. This has been shown in the case of littering but is applicable everywhere.

Let us understand this human psychology:

• If you show people a photo of a litter-free area with the message “Keep this area clean”, they keep it clean

• But if you show them dirty areas with the message “Do not litter”, they still litter.

This behavioural quirk was identified in research titled "A Focus Theory of Normative Conduct: Recycling the Concept of Norms to Reduce Littering in Public Places" by Robert B. Cialdini et al., published in 1990 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

In short

The research conducted several studies that dealt with various scenarios to understand how our behaviour responds to messages. The relevant part of their conclusion can be summarised thus:

• Negative Framing for errant behaviour

  • If you show errant behaviour

  • The message discourages it. (Negative)

  • It works less

• Positive Framing for a desirable behaviour

  • You show desired behaviour and

  • The message encourages it. (Positive)

  • It works more often.

What it means?

• When we share tweets, X-posts, and reels of people vandalising a property, it encourages more vandalism.

• If we share about littered areas, we get more of littered areas.

• Instead, if we share positive messages, such as clean parks and people taking care of the premises, then it will encourage good behaviour.

• If we share good behaviour (think of auto driver returns wallet type stories), you encourage good behaviours.

In sum

There is a saying Monkey-see-monkey-do. Which means monkeys often repeat the behaviour they see. In effect, what this study seems to say is that we are no better than monkeys.

On a more serious note, the research is quite interesting, and I came upon it around 2000. However, since then, I have used it but never found the research paper link. So do read it and use it in your everyday life. It really works.

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