Thermostat Anchors: Do Temperature Scale Characteristics Affect the Selection of Temperature Setpoints for Residential Homes?

Abstract

Characteristics of scales, such as the labels that are used on scales, have been shown to affect judgments. The scale-dependency hypothesis predicts specific effects of the properties of a temperature scale on residents’ choices of temperature setpoints. Based on the literature on anchoring in judgment and decision making, we assessed the effects of the displayed current temperature, midpoint, range, and increment of temperature scales on the selection of setpoint temperatures for residential homes. Participants (N = 384) were asked to imagine that they work as a manager of a residential apartment complex and to select, in this function, setpoint temperatures for incoming residents. The experiment revealed independent effects of the current temperature as well as the midpoint and range of the used scale on the selected setpoints. The scale increment did not systematically affect the chosen temperatures.