Perceptions of the Self and most People’s Reactions towards Innocent and Noninnocent Victims

The Spanish Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1017/sjp.2013.78 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 16 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hélder Alves ◽

Isabel Correia

Keyword(s):

Experimental Study ◽

University Students ◽

The Self ◽

Descriptive Norm ◽

Injunctive Norm ◽

Descriptive Norms ◽

Secondary Victimization ◽

Innocent Victim

AbstractResearch has shown that: individuals positively distinguish themselves from most other people; being consistent is positively valued; injunctive and descriptive norms are perceived to protect victims. Joining these findings, we argue that individuals present themselves as following injunctive and descriptive norms towards victims to a higher extent and more consistently than most people. In an experimental study 273 university students of both sexes indicated what they and most other people would approve of (injunctive norm) or typically do (descriptive norm) regarding various reactions towards either an innocent or a noninnocent victim. The reactions involved secondary victimization (devaluation/derogation, avoidance, suffering minimization, blaming the victim) and non secondary victimization (valuation, contact, suffering acknowledgment, not blaming the victim). Participants perceived themselves and most people as approving of more non secondary than secondary victimization reactions, except for blaming the noninnocent victim. Participants indicated they approved of most of the normative reactions to a higher extent than most people, which is interpreted as a new instance of the Primus Inter Pares effect. Participants also indicated they would show more consistency between their injunctive and descriptive norms, especially towards the innocent victim. Results suggest that individuals perceive themselves as more immune to perverse norms than most people.

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Handen wassen na het plassen. Jong geleerd, oud gedaan?

Tijdschrift voor Communicatiewetenschappen ◽

10.5117/2011.039.003.041 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 39 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Maartje J.M. de Kort ◽

Aart S. Velthuijsen

Keyword(s):

Social Influence ◽

Descriptive Norm ◽

Critical Importance ◽

Injunctive Norm ◽

Descriptive Norms ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

Persuasive Strategies ◽

The Social ◽

Normative Social Influence ◽

The Impact

Do you wash your hands after using the bathroom? Two studies about communicating the injunctive and descriptive norm, and practicing informational and normative social influence in order to promote handwashing behavior. Do you wash your hands after using the bathroom? Two studies about communicating the injunctive and descriptive norm, and practicing informational and normative social influence in order to promote handwashing behavior. Increasing handwashing compliance after using the bathroom was the main goal of the two studies. Handwashing is of critical importance for preventing the spread of bacteria. Most people do know this, but they don’t behave in accordance to this fact. Lack of knowledge does not explain the discrepancy and therefore we investigated two strategies from the social influence literature. The effects on the handwashing behavior were observed unobtrusively. In the first study the impact of communicating the injunctive and descriptive norms regarding handwashing were examined. Results indicate that handwashing is promoted by communicating the injunctive norm. The impact of the descriptive norm is less important. In the second study informational and normative social influence were examined under different experimental conditions. Both informational and normative social influence promoted handwashing behavior and increased handwashing compliance after using the bathroom. Implications for influencing automatic and routine behavior by the use of communication and persuasive strategies are discussed.

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Putting Text in Context: The Conflict between Pro-Ecological Messages and Anti-Ecological Descriptive Norms

The Spanish Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1017/s113874160000202x ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 657-666 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Luis Oceja ◽

Jaime Berenguer

Keyword(s):

Public Space ◽

Descriptive Norm ◽

Injunctive Norm ◽

Descriptive Norms ◽

Follow Up Study ◽

Practical Implications

In the present work we test whether the effectiveness of ecological messages may be canceled out when they conflict with the descriptive norm that is salient in the situation. In two studies, participants were unobtrusively observed while performing an ecologically relevant behavior: leaving lights on or off when exiting a public space. The results of Study 1 showed in two different settings (i.e., public washrooms of a university and of a restaurant) the powerful influence of focusing a descriptive norm that refers to such behavior, even when this descriptive norm is not sustained by the injunctive norm. The results of Study 2 showed the overall ineffectiveness of ecological messages when the information in the message was in conflict with the descriptive norm made salient by the context. Additionally, the results of a Follow-up Study suggested that vividness-congruency may increase the effectiveness of the message. Both the theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.

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Something to gain or something to lose? Affirmative action and regulatory focus emotions

Group Processes & Intergroup Relations ◽

10.1177/1368430209343296 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 201-213 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Naomi Ellemers ◽

Daan Scheepers ◽

Alina Mariana Popa

Keyword(s):

Experimental Study ◽

Affirmative Action ◽

University Students ◽

Regulatory Focus ◽

The Self ◽

Group Members ◽

Practical Implications

Previous research on willingness to support affirmative action has examined groups that are historically advantaged or disadvantaged. We argue and show that support for affirmative action depends on whether people are induced to think of the in-group as having something to gain or as something to lose from affirmative action, and the self-regulatory focus this elicits. We hypothesized that group members should be more inclined to adopt a focus on promotion when in-group benefits of affirmative action are emphasized, while a focus on prevention should emerge when addressing potential in-group losses due to affirmative action. Data in support of this hypothesis were obtained in an experimental study asking university students ( N = 83) to report emotions indicating a focus on promotion or prevention. Results further indicate that emphasizing in-group benefits (vs. non-benefits) enhances support for affirmative action, and that these effects are mediated by the regulatory focus adopted. Importantly, only promotion-oriented emotions predict support when the in-group is seen to benefit from affirmative action, whereas prevention emotions only predict support when the in-group is portrayed as standing to lose from affirmative action. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

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Guilt Enhances the Persuasive Effects of Injunctive But Not Descriptive Social Norms

Social Psychological and Personality Science ◽

10.1177/1948550620950585 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 194855062095058

Author(s):

Ryan P. Jacobson ◽

Kathryn J. L. Jacobson ◽

Allecia E. Reid

Keyword(s):

Social Norms ◽

State Level ◽

Public Service Announcement ◽

Descriptive Norm ◽

Injunctive Norm ◽

Injunctive Norms ◽

Descriptive Norms ◽

Norm Violations ◽

Control Message ◽

Guilt Proneness

The focus theory of normative conduct asserts that distinct processes are involved in responding to injunctive norms versus descriptive norms. This research tested the prediction that guilt would be more strongly involved in motivating conformity to injunctive than descriptive norms. Study 1 demonstrates that people anticipate feeling guiltier following injunctive than descriptive norm violations. Studies 2 and 3 demonstrate that guilt proneness and state-level guilt enhance the persuasiveness of messages framed with injunctive norms but not control-framed or descriptive norm–framed messages. Finally, Study 4 shows that a guilt-arousing public service announcement is more effective if framed using an injunctive norm than a descriptive norm or a control message. These results augment understanding of the different ways that injunctive and descriptive norms influence behavior and have applied implications for social norms marketing interventions.

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Self-Focused Attention, Perspective-Taking, and False Consensus

Social Psychology ◽

10.1027/1864-9335.40.2.66 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 40 (2) ◽

pp. 66-72 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Guido H.E. Gendolla ◽

Robert A. Wicklund

Keyword(s):

Experimental Study ◽

University Students ◽

Perspective Taking ◽

Critical Condition ◽

The Self ◽

Focused Attention ◽

Self Awareness ◽

False Consensus ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

Private And Public

A quasi-experimental study examined the effects of self-focused attention on acknowledging or ignoring others’ perspectives. University students scoring high vs. low in private and public self-focus estimated the opinion of a fellow student. For these estimates, a relevant cue for the fellow student’s most probable opinion was provided or not. The results replicate earlier studies that have demonstrated that attention focused on the self enhances perspective-taking and reduces egocentrism when a cue for others’ perspectives is provided: High private self-focus (self-awareness) turned out to further perspective-taking and, thus, to reduce egocentrism under the critical condition of a cue being presented for the other’s perspective. These results, as well as earlier research, contradict findings by Fenigstein and Abrams (1993) , which were interpreted as showing that self-focus enhances egocentrism in a false consensus paradigm.

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