New research from the Department of Communication is taking a closer look at how financial incentives influence not just behavior, but the social norms that drive it.
The recently published study, “Navigating the challenges to implementing financial incentives for behavior change at the intersection of human, animal, and ecosystem health: A case study,” explores how paying people to adopt beneficial behaviors can fundamentally alter how those behaviors are perceived — and how that shift can strengthen or weaken long-term change.
The research was co-authored by Maria Knight Lapinski, professor in the Department of Communication and director of the Health and Risk Communication Center and John Kerr, professor in the Department of Community Sustainability, in the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources. Together, the team reviewed more than 20 years of research on financial incentive programs related to water, sanitation and hygiene, food safety, and animal and ecosystem health.
At the heart of the study is social norms — the shared expectations and perceptions that shape how people decide what is appropriate or “right” within a community.
“A lot of our decisions are shaped by what people around us are doing or what we think others believe is the right thing to do,” Lapinski said. “But when someone is paid to do a behavior, it changes the attributions people make. Others may think, ‘They’re only doing it for the money,’ and that can weaken the influence of social norms.”
In other words, incentives do more than motivate action. They signal meaning. They can shift an interaction from one rooted in shared values and relationships to one defined by economics. That shift can affect how behaviors spread — or fail to spread — within a community.
The research was conducted in collaboration with The Carter Center, and draws on programs designed to help eradicate Guinea worm disease, a complex global health challenge affecting humans, domesticated animals and wildlife. The case highlights the interconnectedness of human, animal and ecosystem health — often referred to as a One Health approach — and underscores why communication research is essential in designing effective interventions.
“Studying incentives in a One Health context helps us identify ways to reduce disease transmission while avoiding possible negative effects,” Lapinski said.
The team concludes that financial incentives are not inherently effective or ineffective. Their success depends on careful design and strategic communication grounded in a deep understanding of community norms, motivations and social dynamics.
Their findings have been used by the Carter Center and their partners to inform disease prevention programs, contributing to healthier communities and ecosystems worldwide.