How Descriptive Norms Influence Prosocial Behavior

摘要

Relative to injunctive norms (what ought to be done in a given situation), evidence suggests that descriptive norms (what others are actually doing in a given situation) are particularly effective in stimulating prosocial behaviors (e.g., Goldstein, Cialdini and Gfiskevicius 2008: White and Simpson 2013). One stream of research demonstrates that norms on high rates of participation motivate prosocial behavior, including charity donations (Shang and Croson 2009). For instance, Nolan and colleagues (2008) show that when consumers are given information on the conservation effort of their neighbors, they alter their own conservation effort to match the prevailing norm. However, other studies suggest that perceived need (evidenced by low rates of donation) increases prosocial behavior since consumers are more likely to help others that they perceive as in need of help (Fisher and Ma 2014). Rooted in human empathy (Batson 1990), this research suggests that helping behavior is stimulated by as the perceived severity of a need increases. Therefore, the current research examines in which either high or low descriptive norms are more effective.