Increasing vegetables purchase with a descriptive-norm message: A cluster randomized controlled intervention in two university canteens

Modification Mechanisms of Descriptive Norm Perceptions Toward Vaping: The Role of Behavior Prevalence and Group Size in an Online Setting

We often rely on descriptive norm perceptions as a mental shortcut for decision making. However, less is known about how such perceptions are shaped and modified by our experiences in day-to-day life. The interactive nature of the current media environment offers opportunities for individuals to access others' health behavior choices through online user-generated content. Within a setting of online comment boards, the current study examined the descriptive norm perception modification process toward vaping with a large-scale experiment that systematically varied levels of exposure to online commenters' vaping behavior choice indications. Findings revealed a significant positive effect of behavior prevalence on descriptive norm perceptions, which in turn were positively associated with vaping intention. This set of results was observed only when a sufficient total amount of comment exposures was ensured. The study provided empirical evidence for the underlying mechanism of the "quasi-statistical sense," which helps people draw conclusions about behavior prevalence and may influence their behavioral decision making. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

How to entice restaurant patrons to order low-emissions meals? A meta-analysis and research agenda

Climate change mitigation is now a matter of urgency. Substantial mitigation effects can be achieved by changing consumer behavior, including food choice. Food systems generate 34% of global greenhouse emissions. Researchers can contribute to climate change mitigation by developing theory-informed interventions that entice consumers to choose low-emissions foods. This meta-analysis synthesizes past research, which developed interventions to influence food choices in restaurants and tested them experimentally. We meta-analyzed 83 interventions that aimed to entice people to choose low emissions meals. Results indicate that the primary focus of interventions developed to date is to change beliefs to alter food choices. Our meta-analysis reveals that such belief-based interventions have only a small effect particularly on food choice behavior (compared to intentions). Some alternative behavior change approaches prove to be more effective, including increasing the enjoyment associated with choosing the target meal, increasing its availability, and making it more convenient to choose. Our meta-analysis highlights that more field studies are needed. Only 25 out of 83 interventions took place in the field, with the remainder taking place in simulated restaurants (i.e., survey studies). Future research should focus on intervention mechanisms that have proven successful in the simulated restaurant context as well as on novel theoretical approaches that remain entirely unexplored, including targeting habits by either activating or deliberately disrupting them.