Stanford
SPARQ

Environment

The SPARQ Solutions Catalog is an online library of scientifically tested fixes to a wide variety of social issues and conflicts.

Easily searchable and practitioner-focused, it provides a curated set of evidence-based behavioral nudges in education, health, law & justice, peace & conflict, relationships, parenting, and the environment.

Civil Society Conflict Resolution Criminal Justice Economic Development Education Environment  Health Parenting Relationships

Push Veggies With Tasty Language

mixed vegetables

Problem: People think "healthy" foods are depriving and bland, and so avoid them.

Solution: Describing healthy food with indulgent and fun language leads people to eat more of it.

Environment, Health

Emoticons Reduce Energy Use

People with emoticons on their heads

Problem: Using too much energy hurts the environment.

Solution: Including smiley and frowny face emoticons in people’s energy bills can lead entire neighborhoods to use less energy.

Environment

Storybooks Get Kids to Eat Their Veggies

Vegetable cartoon characters smiling and waving

Problem: More than one-third of American kids are overweight or obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.  Junk food drives part of this obesity epidemic.

Solution: Storybooks that teach kids why they need different nutrients lead them to choose healthier snacks.

Education, Environment, Health

Revealing Hypocrisy Boosts Water Conservation

Dried and cracked soil

Problem: Even during droughts, many Americans guzzle water. In dry California, for example, some cities use more than four times as many gallons of water than do their neighbors. 

Solution: Discovering they are hypocrites prompts people to turn off the tap.

Environment

A Simple Message Saves Water

When you care it shows. We are committed to energy and resource conservation. An an effort to conserve thousands of gallons of water each day, we will be changing your linens every third day and at check-out. If you would like your sheets changed daily, simply place this card on your pillow.

Problem: Small acts like reusing a hotel towel can save thousands of gallons of water, detergent, and oil every day. But most hotel guests use their towels only once before having it washed. 

Solution: A simple message that appeals to our desire to fit in with people like us - that is, to follow local social norms - moves hotel guests to reuse their towels.