What Factors Moderate Self-Other Discrepancies in Decision Making? Results from a Vaccination Scenario

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dafina Petrova ◽  
Rocio Garcia-Retamero ◽  
Joop van der Pligt
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Social Norms ◽  
Social Norm ◽  
Risk Attitudes ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Transmitted Virus ◽  
The Social ◽  
Decisions For Others ◽  
Risky Decisions

AbstractWhen we make risky decisions for others, we tend to follow social norms about risks. This often results in making different decisions for others than we would make for ourselves in a similar situation (i.e., self-other discrepancies). In an experiment, we investigated self-other discrepancies in young adults’ decisions to purchase a vaccine against a sexually-transmitted virus for themselves or for another person (i.e., the target of the decision). When the target’s preferences were in line with social norms, surrogates showed large self-other discrepancies in line with these norms. When the target’s preferences were contrary to social norms, surrogates did not show self-other discrepancies in line with these preferences; instead they still followed social norms, F(1, 140) = 21.45, p < .001, ηp2 = .13. Surrogates with lower numeracy, F(2, 128) = 3.44, p = .035, ηp2 = .05, and higher empathy, F(2, 128) = 3.72, p = .027, ηp2 = .06, showed self-other discrepancies more in line with the target’s preferences, even when these were contrary to the norm. Surrogates whose own risk attitudes were contrary to social norms showed larger self-other discrepancies, F(1, 128) = 5.38, p = .022, ηp2 = .04. These results demonstrate that perceived social norms about risk can predict self-other discrepancies in risky decisions, even when the target’s preferences are known and at odds with the social norm. Further, the surrogates’ numeracy, empathy, and propensity to take risks influence the extent to which risky decisions for others resemble risky decisions for oneself.

Can Humanism be the Social Norm?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon D. Welch
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Social Norm ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Human Reasoning ◽  
Individual Freedom ◽  
Social Divisions ◽  
The Social

Assaults on truth and divisions about the nature of wise governance are not momentary political challenges, unique to particular moments in history. Rather, they demonstrate fundamental weaknesses in human reasoning and core dangers in ways of construing both individual freedom and cohesive communities. It will remain an ongoing challenge to learn to deal rationally with what is an intrinsic irrationality in human cognition and with what is an intrinsic tendency toward domination and violence in human collectivities. In times of intense social divisions, it is vital to consider the ways in which humanism might function as the social norm by, paradoxically, functioning in a way different from other social norms. Humanism is not the declaration that a certain set of values or norms are universally valid. At its best and most creative, humanism is not limited to a particular set of norms, but is, rather, the commitment to a certain process in which norms are continuously created, critically evaluated, implemented, sustained or revised. Humanism is a process of connection, perception, implementation, and critique, and it applies this process as much to itself as to other traditions.

scholarly journals Prosocial Influence and Opportunistic Conformity in Adolescents and Young Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (12) ◽  
pp. 1585-1601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriele Chierchia ◽  
Blanca Piera Pi-Sunyer ◽  
Sarah-Jayne Blakemore
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Social Context ◽  
Social Influence ◽  
Social Decision ◽  
Charitable Donations ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Decision Making ◽  
Age Range ◽  
Value Of Money

Adolescence is associated with heightened social influence, especially from peers. This can lead to detrimental decision-making in domains such as risky behavior but may also raise opportunities for prosocial behavior. We used an incentivized charitable-donations task to investigate how people revise decisions after learning about the donations of others and how this is affected by age ( N = 220; age range = 11–35 years). Our results showed that the probability of social influence decreased with age within this age range. In addition, whereas previous research has suggested that adults are more likely to conform to the behavior of selfish others than to the behavior of prosocial others, here we observed no evidence of such an asymmetry in midadolescents. We discuss possible interpretations of these findings in relation to the social context of the task, the perceived value of money, and social decision-making across development.

Is Gender-Based Violence a Social Norm? Rethinking Power in a Popular Development Intervention

2020 ◽  
Vol 126 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-105
Author(s):  
Amy Piedalue ◽  
Amanda Gilbertson ◽  
Kalissa Alexeyeff ◽  
Elise Klein
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Social Norm ◽  
Social Processes ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
The Social ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Critical Revision ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Control

Changing social norms has become the preferred approach in global efforts to prevent gender-based violence (GBV). In this article, we trace the rise of social norms within GBV-related policy and practice and their transformation from social processes that exist in the world to beliefs that exist in the minds of individuals. The analytic framework that underpins social norms approaches has been subject to ongoing critical revision but continues to have significant issues in its conceptualisation of power and its sidelining of the political economy. These issues are particularly apparent in the use of individualised measures of social norms that cannot demonstrate causation, and conflation of social norms with culture. Recognising that the pressure to measure may be a key factor in reducing the complexity of the social norms approach, we call for the use of mixed methods in documenting the factors and processes that contribute to GBV and the effectiveness of interventions. As social norms approaches are increasingly prioritised over addressing the non-normative contributors to GBV (such as access to and control over productive resources), awareness of the limitations of social norms approaches is vital.

scholarly journals Young New Zealand women's sexual decision making in casual sex situations: A qualitative study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Cooper ◽  
Barrie Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Casual Sex ◽  
Transmitted Infection ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Sexual Decision Making ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Societal Expectations

This qualitative study explores the sexual decision making (SDM) of a group of young New Zealand women who had previously participated in casual sex without a condom. In doing so, it helps address a gap in the literature of first-hand accounts of the factors that have influenced SDM related to sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk in New Zealand. Eleven women were interviewed with the intention of gaining a greater understanding of their SDM before, and in, the 'heat of the moment'. Four major themes related to SDM emerged from the data: 1) the importance of being in a relationship; 2) the influence of alcohol on SDM; 3) the power of societal expectations and the women's desire to be seen as "normal"; and 4) the sense of powerlessness many felt in negotiating condom use. The findings are discussed in relation to their relevance for sexual health promotion in the social context of New Zealand and in terms of research indicating that similar factors influence the SDM of young women in other Western countries.

scholarly journals How to Solve the Social Norm Conflict Dilemma of Green Consumption: The Moderating Effect of Self-Affirmation

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wanda Ge ◽  
Guanghua Sheng ◽  
Hongli Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Social Norm ◽  
Injunctive Norms ◽  
Descriptive Norms ◽  
Green Consumption ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Conflict Situations ◽  
Maximum Utility ◽  
The Social

Social norms are important social factors that affect individual behavioral change. Using social norms to promote green consumption is receiving increasing attention. However, due to the different formation processes and mechanisms of the behavioral influence of the different types of social norms, using social norms to promote green consumption often has social norm conflict situations (injunctive norms + negative descriptive norms). Thus, it is difficult to attain the maximum utility of social norms. The present research found that social norm conflict weakens the role of injunctive norms in promoting green consumption. Specifically, negative descriptive norms weaken the role of injunctive norms in promoting green consumption. Alienation, which manifests through powerlessness and meaninglessness, plays a mediating role in the relationship between social norm conflict and green consumption. Self-affirmation moderates the mediating role of alienation between social norm conflicts and green consumption. Self-affirmation reduces the alienation caused by social norm conflict, thereby alleviating the weakening effect of social norm conflict on green consumption.

Self–Other Differences in Decision-Making Under Risk

2018 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 226-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingyi Lu ◽  
Xuesong Shang ◽  
Bingjie Li
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Risk Averse ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Decision Making Under Risk ◽  
Behavioral Consequences ◽  
Decisions Under Risk ◽  
Decisions For Others ◽  
Interpersonal Concerns ◽  
Risky Decisions

Abstract. Decisions made for others reflect not only decision-makers’ cognitive and emotional states but also decision-makers’ interpersonal concerns. People who make choices for others will potentially be blamed for unappealing outcomes by others. Therefore, we hypothesize that individuals will seek sure gains (which increase individuals’ responsibility for desirable outcomes) and avoid sure losses (which decrease individuals’ responsibility for undesirable outcomes) when making risky decisions for others more than when making such decisions for themselves. The results of two studies show that making decisions for others (vs. oneself) promotes risk-averse choices over gains. This effect may be driven by the perceived responsibility associated with different options. When both options exhibit variance in outcomes, such self–other difference disappears. However, no self–other difference over losses was observed. Taken together, our research highlights interpersonal concerns in making decisions for others, as well as the behavioral consequences of these concerns in decisions under risk.

Individual pension-related risk propensities: the effects of socio-demographic characteristics and a spousal pension entitlement on risk attitudes

2008 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 847-874 ◽  
Author(s):  
GORDON L. CLARK ◽  
KENDRA STRAUSS
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Pension Plan ◽  
Pension Plans ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Risk Attitudes ◽  
Occupational Pension ◽  
Related Risk ◽  
The Social

ABSTRACTThe transition from defined-benefit to defined-contribution occupational-pension plans has placed a premium on the participants' or contributors' decision-making competence. Their attitudes to risk and their responses to available investment options can have far-reaching implications for their retirement income. Behavioural research on risk and uncertainty has raised understanding of the limits of individual decision-making, but the social status and demographic characteristics of plan participants may also affect risk perception and pension choices. By studying a random sample of the British adult population, this paper explores the significance of socio-demographic characteristics for pension-related risk attitudes. It is demonstrated that pension-plan participants do not appear to understand the risks associated with different types of retirement savings and pension plans. The paper also shows that the gender, age and income of plan participants can give rise to distinctive risk propensities, and that marital status and, in particular, whether a spouse also has a pension can also have significant consequences for household risk preferences. These results have implications for those segments of the population that are disadvantaged in the labour market. Employer-provided pensions' education and information programmes may have to be more basic and more closely tailored to the social status of pension plan participants than hitherto assumed or hoped.

scholarly journals The effect of word-of-mouth on consumer emotions and choice: findings from a service industry

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 298-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Martensen ◽  
Lars Grønholdt
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Social Norm ◽  
Least Squares Method ◽  
Consumer Decision Making ◽  
Consumer Decision ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Consumer Emotions

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how received word-of-mouth (WOM) influences consumer emotions and, in turn, behavioral attitude and intention. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual model is developed by extending the theory of reasoned action framework to include WOM and emotions. The conceptual model is operationalized through a structural equation model, and the model is estimated and tested by using the partial least squares method. A survey among 509 consumers in Denmark forms the empirical basis for the study. Findings The paper finds that positive and negative WOM has an asymmetric influence on emotions, behavioral attitude and intention, i.e. that consumers respond differently to positive and negative WOM. The paper also finds that positive WOM has a larger impact than the social norm on behavioral attitude and intention and that negative WOM has an impact equal to that of the social norm. Furthermore, the study finds that emotions are an important mediator for both WOM and social norm. Research limitations/implications The paper is limited to a large travel agency in Denmark. Practical implications This paper has clear implications in terms of measuring the importance of WOM and emotions in consumer decision-making. It may serve as a useful basis for a practical WOM marketing strategy, which is a critical and increasingly applied element of customer-focused companies’ marketing strategies. Originality/value This paper provides new insights into how WOM works and the interplay between WOM, emotions and social norm in consumer decision-making.

scholarly journals Optimal Contracting with Endogenous Social Norms

2008 ◽  
Vol 98 (4) ◽  
pp. 1459-1475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Fischer ◽  
Steven Huddart
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Adverse Selection ◽  
Social Norm ◽  
Peer Group ◽  
Selection Problem ◽  
Monetary Incentives ◽  
Optimal Contracting ◽  
The Social ◽  
Adverse Selection Problem ◽  
Group Agents

Research in sociology and ethics suggests that individuals adhere to social norms of behavior established by their peers. Within an agency framework, we model endogenous social norms by assuming that each agent's cost of implementing an action depends on the social norm for that action, defined to be the average level of that action chosen by the agent's peer group. We show how endogenous social norms alter the effectiveness of monetary incentives, determine whether it is optimal to group agents in a single or two separate organizations, and may give rise to a costly adverse selection problem when agents' sensitivities to social norms are unobservable. (JEL D23, D82, D86, Z13)

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