Using social norms to clean up your community

Issue 79: What trying to get people to pick up after their pooches can teach us about changing behavior more generally

We are in the dog days of summer and The Atlantic Monthly has dogs — well, more specifically, dog poop - on its mind. Writes Kelly Conaboy:

A certain substance is enjoying a renaissance in New York City. In a time of scarcity, it is newly abundant. In a period of economic inflation, it is free and distributed so generously that it might even be on your shoe right now. The substance is dog waste—and lots of people are mad about it.

Conaboy poses the question: “What Kind of Villain Doesn’t Clean Up After Their Dog?” Are these negligent canine companions merely absent-minded? Are they overly distracted by their I-Phones? Having spent too long with their furry friends, have they become desensitized to the unpleasant consequences of doggy digestion (much as parents become immune to the bowel movements of their young)? Or are they malignant psychopaths intent on ruining sidewalks and parks for their fellow citizens?

All of these villainous possibilities might apply, up to a point. But a more …