Towels, Social Pressure, and Responsibility

By: Jessica Robertson

Stay in any mainstream hotel and you will likely see a sign reminding guests to reuse towels. The signs usually add some information about the benefits of reducing towel usage, like lower hotel costs and conserved water and energy. But, do these signs really convey their message with any power resulting in a change?

A recent study in two hotels showed that signs having certain added information can impact the effectiveness of the message. In some rooms, the signs included the phrase, “75% of guests in this hotel reuse their towels” and another set of rooms added a phrase to the sign saying, “75% of guests in this room have reused towels.” The findings of the study showed that the guests who were told of the behavior of those who had stayed in their particular room before used 40% fewer towels than guests who were told about the behavior of all hotel guests as a whole.

People are social beings, and we like to be accepted. If people who we feel connected to have a certain conviction or act in a particular way, we are more likely to act in a way that makes us feel like we belong. The subtle pressure of relating one hotel guest to the previous guests of that certain room has a profound impact on behavior.

There is a lesson to be learned from this study; if we, as a society, uphold the good, like environmental responsibility, generosity, or compassion, others will be persuaded to act similarly. However, if we uphold selfishness, greed, or any other vice, we pressure others to follow the same. Be the change you want to see.