How Columbia University researchers are redefining environmental decision-making with Prolific

Most people want to fight climate change. But which of your choices will have the biggest impact on the environment? Do you know how much cutting back on flights or eating less meat will reduce your carbon footprint? 

Eli Sugerman noticed there was a gap between people's environmental intentions and their actions - and he saw a research opportunity. As a PhD candidate at Columbia Business School studying judgment and decision-making, he knew that good intentions alone weren't translating into effective environmental choices. To understand this disconnect, he needed a well thought-out research design and high-quality participants.

The problem with previous research

In previous research, participants said they would pay more for sustainable options. But they often wouldn't change their behavior in practice. What was behind this gap? Eli suspected that people couldn't accurately judge the environmental impact of their choices.

To test this theory, he and his colleagues at Columbia's Business School designed a detailed research program. The idea was to investigate how accurately people could estimate carbon emissions across different scales.

The research needed to examine emissions at three distinct levels:

• Individual behaviors like flying less or reducing meat consumption
• Companies within specific sectors
• Entire industries 

Taking a multi-level approach would provide unique insight into how people understand environmental impact across different scales of decision-making, from personal choices to broader economic sectors.

Study setup and design decisions

The path to the final research design involved plenty of testing and refinement. After exploring various measurement options, the team settled on a drag-and-drop ranking system implemented across five interconnected studies. The decision emerged from pre-testing that revealed participants found numerical estimates overwhelming and potentially inaccurate.

"We settled on ranking like a drag-and-drop type question because it mirrors real-world decisions," Eli explains. "If you're walking through the grocery store trying to decide which milk is the most sustainable, you're comparing options directly rather than calculating exact numbers."

The ranking approach proved particularly valuable as it aligned with how people naturally make environmental decisions. Asking people to put a specific number on carbon emission estimates wasn't reliable. Instead, the team created a system where people could compare options directly.

By implementing a more flexible approach to accuracy, the method revealed meaningful differences in how people perceive emissions across various activities and industries.

Prolific's role in quality research

Columbia's team chose Prolific after looking at different research platforms. Prolific's ability to provide high-quality, representative samples while supporting complex survey designs was a driving factor in the decision. "We were really looking for a general population," Eli notes, "that could give weight to our findings through demographic representation."

Building representative studies 

Using Prolific's representative sample feature, the researchers conducted five distinct studies so their participants matched US census data. Each study required specific participant criteria. Thanks to Prolific's filters, each study used a pool of participants that were fresh each time, and still representative.

As Eli emphasizes, "We made sure people could only participate in one study. They're not in study one and then in study five again, seeing a very similar task."

Targeting and quality controls 

The research team needed different kinds of people for different parts of their study. Thanks to Prolific's screening tools, they could check participants spoke fluent English and hadn't taken part in their earlier studies. This meant high-quality data from start to finish, with the right mix of people for every stage of the research.

Technical implementation 

The technical implementation proved equally important. Prolific's integration capabilities supported the complex ranking interface while making sure smooth data collection across multiple study waves.

Technical reliability, combined with strong participant quality, meant the research team could focus on their research rather than worrying about data collection logistics. Built-in quality controls and participant verification systems provided additional confidence in the data's integrity.

Key findings across scales

The results revealed fascinating patterns in how people understand emissions across different scales. 

Most people don't fully understand their environmental impact

People turned out to be remarkably inaccurate at gauging which of their actions help the environment most. Many participants ranked recycling as one of their most impactful green behaviors, yet cutting back on flights would do far more to reduce their carbon footprint. There seems to be a fundamental gap in how many of us understand our personal environmental impact.

Company-level understanding

Company-level judgments showed striking variations by industry. When ranking firms within sectors, participants demonstrated remarkably high accuracy for airlines but performed poorly with fast-food companies. A disparity like this suggests public understanding of environmental impact varies dramatically across business sectors.

Surprising lack of predictors

Perhaps most surprisingly, neither political ideology nor level of environmental concern predicted accuracy. "What was a bit more surprising was the lack of moderation," Eli notes. 

Understanding decision processes

Clear patterns in how people make environmental judgments came to the fore as a result of the research. Rather than using accurate emissions data, participants relied heavily on familiar but potentially misleading cues. Marketing messages and brand image played a role, as did personal experience and social norms.

"It's tempting to assume that Chipotle is more sustainable than McDonald's because of their emphasis on health and farming imagery," Eli explains. "But marketing messages often don't align with actual environmental impact." Environmental decision-making, as demonstrated by the research, can be swayed by factors entirely separate from actual emissions data.

Expanding research horizons

The success of the initial studies has opened numerous new research directions. For example, the team is currently replicating the studies with participants based in Germany to examine cultural differences in environmental judgment.

They're also investigating how these findings apply to policy-level decision-making. On top of that, there is a deeper analysis of how people substitute accessible attributes when making environmental judgments.

Throughout all of this, Prolific continues to serve as an important research partner. The ability to maintain high standards while adapting to new research requirements has proven invaluable for the growing research program. With access to participants based in both the US and Germany through Prolific, the researchers can expand their studies across different cultures while maintaining consistent quality standards.

Impact and future implications

The research has significant implications for environmental communication and policy. By revealing how people misunderstand emissions across different scales, it helps organizations better communicate environmental impact and assists policymakers in structuring effective initiatives.

For consumers wanting to make more environmentally conscious choices, the research suggests focusing on objective information rather than intuition. "There are excellent resources available," Eli notes, pointing to organizations like Project Drawdown and Rare that provide evidence-based environmental impact data.

As climate change remains such an important global challenge, the research conducted by Eli and his team demonstrates how academic studies can contribute to solving pressing societal problems. 

Columbia's researchers used Prolific to advance their understanding of environmental decision-making while also creating a foundation for expanded research into how people think about and act on climate change.

Research that drives real change

The study shows how well-designed research can shine a light on complex behavioral challenges. Combining innovative methodology with Prolific's reliable research capabilities allowed Columbia's team to chart a path toward more effective environmental decision-making while demonstrating the platform's value for sophisticated academic research.

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