Stewarding our public goods is one of the most important issues of our day. This work demonstrates that increasing a consumer’s psychological ownership of public goods motivates both effortful (e.g., picking up trash) and financial (e.g., making donations) stewardship behaviors. The authors present inexpensive, yet actionable, interventions that provide solutions to encourage individual care behavior.

1. Caring for the Commons:
Using Psychological Ownership to Enhance
Stewardship Behavior for Public Goods
Joann Peck, University of Wisconsin – Madison
Colleen P. Kirk, New York Institute of Technology
Andrea W. Luangrath, University of Iowa
Suzanne B. Shu, Cornell University
From: Peck et al. 2020

2. From: Peck et al. 2020
How can individuals be
encouraged to take better care
of public goods?
What simple interventions
can managers use to
increase stewardship?
“Everybody’s property is nobody’s property.” – (Scott 1955)

3. • The feeling that something is “Mine!”
• Furby 1980; Pierce, Kostova, and Dirks 2003; Pierce and Peck 2018
• Distinct from legal ownership
• Strong feelings of psychological ownership have been
shown to increase valuation of target items
• Peck and Shu 2009; Spears and Yazdanparast 2014
• Could it also be used to increase stewardship
behaviors for public goods?
From: Peck et al. 2020
What is Psychological Ownership?

4. Psychological Ownership
Investing the self
into the target
Controlling the
target
Coming to
intimately know
the target
Stewardship behaviors
Responsibility
From: Peck et al. 2020
Antecedents and Consequences

5. Public Lake Study
• Does psychological ownership increase
stewardship behavior?
• Kayak Renters (N = 135)
• Psychological Ownership Intervention:
Come up with your own nickname for
the lake (vs. no nickname)
Nickname:_______________________
Kayaks Rented by Study Participants

6. Public Lake Study
• Observed Behavior: Do people pick up trash?
(Effortful Stewardship)
Research Assistant Planting Trash in Lake
Anchored Trash

7. Results: Percentage of People who Picked up Trash
No Nickname Nickname
7% 41%
Kayakers who felt psychological ownership from nicknaming the
lake were significantly more likely to pick up trash.
<

8. State Park: Cross-Country Ski Study
• Cross-country Ski Renters (N = 161)
• Psychological Ownership Intervention: Plan your
ski route (vs. no planning)
• Outcomes of Interest:
• Willingness to Give $1.00 Donation
to the Park (Financial Stewardship)
• Likelihood to volunteer to
help the park
• Like the park’s Facebook page
• Post on Instagram using the park’s hashtag
Planning Ski Route

9. Results: Planning Route Increases Psychological Ownership
Did Not Plan Route Planned Route
32.7% 86%
Skiers who felt psychological ownership from planning their route felt greater
responsibility to the park and were 2.5x more likely to add a $1.00 donation to
their rental fee. These people also stated that they would be more likely to
volunteer, like the park on Facebook, and promote the park on Instagram.
<

10. Attendance Sign Study
• Do visitor attendance signs inadvertently
decrease felt responsibility and stewardship
behavior?
• Scenario Study (N = 588)
• Psychological
Ownership Intervention:
Welcome to YOUR park
(vs. Welcome to the park)
• Attendance Sign
(vs. No Attendance Sign)
• Outcome of Interest:
• Monetary Donation (7 Quarters)

11. $0.59
$1.41
$0.62
$1.13
No Attendance Sign
Attendance Sign
Results: Attendance Sign Inadvertently Decreases Donation
An attendance sign diffuses responsibility among many visitors, thereby
dampening the effect of psychological ownership on financial stewardship.
Welcome to YOUR park
Welcome to the park

12. Antecedent Manipulation Study and Effects of Higher Psychological Ownership
Investment of Self
Naming Study 1, public lake field experiment, increased trash pickup
Appendix W6 Study 1, Wikipedia experiment, increased WOM and error identification
Appendix W6 Study 2, nature path study, increased trash pickup
Planning route Study 3, public park field experiment, increased volunteer and donation behaviors
“Your park” sign Study 2, public park study, increased trash pickup and donation intentions
Study 4, public park lab experiment, increased helping intentions and actual donations
Perceived Control Reserved area Appendix W6 Study 3, public park study, increased intention to repair damage
Intimate
Knowledge
Prior experience
Appendix W6 Study 4, nature preserve study, increased helping intentions and actual
donations
360 video Appendix W6 Study 5, lab experiment, increased trash pickup and donation intentions
From: Peck et al. 2020
Other Actionable Interventions to Increase Psychological Ownership