Cultural influences on the effects of social norm appeals

A sender-message-receiver (SMeR) framework for communicating persuasive social norms - The case of climate change mitigation behavioral change

This review delves into the nuanced boundary conditions of social norms in fostering behavior change within the realm of climate action. Current research is examined within a "Sender - Message - Receiver (SMeR)" framework, which investigates factors such as group identification and group size that influence the effectiveness of social norms. Furthermore, it explores how cultural context, personal norms, emotions, and ambiguity shape individuals' responses to social norms-based messages. By illuminating these boundary conditions, the review provides insights into the complexities of social normative influence and offers guidance for designing more effective intervention techniques to promote behavioral change. Understanding these nuances is crucial for developing targeted strategies that resonate with diverse audiences and facilitate meaningful shifts toward a more environmentally sustainable future.

Why should I when no one else does? A review of social norm appeals to promote sustainable minority behavior

Social norm appeals have been proven successful in promoting sustainable behavior that most people engage in. However, research on the effectiveness of social norm appeals in promoting sustainable behavior performed by a numerical minority of people is lacking. This systematic review aimed to examine empirical studies that applied social norm appeals and to elaborate on how social norm appeals could be effectively designed to foster sustainable minority behaviors. Thirty-six articles, including 54 studies, applying social norm interventions to promote sustainable minority behavior were compiled and discussed, with a particular focus on the methodology and operationalization of social norm appeals. The results showed that static descriptive minority social norm appeals might not be effective in promoting sustainable behavior. Nevertheless, there appeared to be differences depending on the strength of the norm and the environmental attitudes of the population. However, using injunctive and dynamic descriptive social norm appeals appear promising approaches because these appeals are less prone to undesirable effects. Nevertheless, it could be problematic if injunctive and descriptive social norm appeals are not aligned, but results are inconclusive. For practitioners, emphasizing social change and highlighting majority approval are simple, low-cost strategies with great potential to induce compliance and encourage sustainable minority behavior without running the risk of backfire effects.

Influence of cultural values and hierarchical social norms on buying counterfeits online: a 17-country study

Introduction

As a globally prevalent phenomenon, buying counterfeit products harms consumers, economies, societies, governments, and the environment. The study examined the hierarchy of injunctive normative influence (personal vs. societal) on counterfeit purchase intentions and trends in non-deceptive (known) counterfeit purchase behavior. The current research expands the hierarchical norms approach by examining how the cultural values of power distance and individualism-collectivism predict injunctive normative perceptions and counterfeit buying intention and behavior.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey (N = 13,053) of consumers from 17 nations, administered in seven languages, explored cross-country differences in perceived social norms about buying counterfeits.

Results

The findings of multilevel moderated mediation analyses showed that personal injunctive norms (perceived acceptance of buying counterfeits by close friends) mediated the relationship between societal injunctive norms (perceived acceptance for buying counterfeits by peers in the same country) and the outcome variables. Selected paths of the mediation model were moderated by the two cultural dimensions.

Discussion

Theoretical implications are discussed within the context of cultural orientations' and social norms' roles in informing risky behavior, and practically, within the context of awareness-raising and behavior-change interventions.

Social norm change: drivers and consequences

Social norms research is booming. In recent years, several experts have recommended using social norms (unwritten rules that prescribe what people ought or ought not to do) to confront the societal, environmental and health challenges our societies face. If we are to do so, a better understanding is required of how social norms themselves emerge, evolve and respond to these challenges. Social norms have long been used as post hoc explanations of behaviour or are seen as stable social constructs. Yet norms evolve dynamically with the changing group processes (e.g. political polarization, kinship structures) and societal challenges (e.g. pandemics, climate change) for which they are presented as solutions. The Theme Issue 'Social norm change: drivers and consequences' contains 14 contributions that present state-of-the-art approaches to understand what generates social norm change and how this impacts our societies. Contributions give insight into (i) the identification of norms, norm change and their effect on behaviour; (ii) drivers and consequences of spontaneous norm change; and (iii) how norm change can be engineered to promote desired behavioural change. This article is part of the theme issue 'Social norm change: drivers and consequences'.

Risk, sanctions and norm change: the formation and decay of social distancing norms

Global challenges like the climate crisis and pandemic outbreaks require collective responses where people quickly adapt to changing circumstances. Social norms are potential solutions, but only if they themselves are flexible enough. The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to study norm formation and decay in real-world contexts. We tracked empirical and normative expectations about social distancing and empirical and normative expectations of sanctioning from June 2021 to February 2022 to explore how norms and meta norms evolved as COVID-19 risk decreased and increased. We found that norms and meta norms partially coevolve with risk dynamics, although they recover with some delay. This implies that norms should be enforced as soon as risk increases. We therefore tested how sanctioning intentions vary for different hypothetical norms and find them to increase with a clear meta norm of sanctioning, yet decrease with a clear social norm of distance. In conclusion, social norms evolve spontaneously with changing risk, but might not be adaptive enough when the lack of meta norms of sanctioning introduce tolerance for norm violations. Moreover, norm nudges can potentially have negative externalities if strengthening the social norm increases tolerance for norm violations. These results put some limits to social norms as solutions to guide behaviour under risk. This article is part of the theme issue 'Social norm change: drivers and consequences'.