Data from Cultural influences on the effects of social norm appeals

This study reports on an experimental test of the effects of descriptive and injunctive norm appeals on intentions to prevent food waste in China and the United States (<i>N</i> = 1449), testing the role of cultural context and group orientation in this process. Results showed that the main effects of descriptive and injunctive norm messages on behavioural intentions were mediated by normative perceptions, and cultural context moderated both paths of this mediation. Specifically, with the same message exposure, Chinese participants perceived food waste prevention as more prevalent and socially approved compared to US participants. Normative perceptions interacted with cultural context to influence behavioural intentions, such that both descriptive and injunctive norm perceptions predicted stronger intentions to prevent food waste among Chinese participants compared to Americans. Group orientation yielded a main effect on behavioural intentions, instead of the moderation effects as expected. Findings suggest the need for culturally grounded and contextualized approaches to communication of social norms, as well as building cultural concepts into theories of social norms.This article is part of the theme issue ‘Social Norm Change: From Evolution to Policy Intervention’.

本研究针对描述性规范（descriptive norm）与指令性规范（injunctive norm）诉求对中美两国民众预防食物浪费行为意向的影响开展了实验测试（有效样本量N=1449），并检验了文化情境与群体导向在该过程中的作用。研究结果显示，描述性规范与指令性规范信息对行为意向的主效应通过规范认知（normative perceptions）得以中介，且文化情境对该中介过程的两条路径均存在调节作用。具体而言，在接受相同信息暴露的情况下，相较于美国参与者，中国参与者会认为食物浪费预防行为更为普遍且更具社会认可度。规范认知与文化情境的交互作用会影响行为意向：相较于美国参与者，描述性与指令性规范认知均能更显著地预测中国参与者的食物浪费预防意向。群体导向对行为意向存在主效应，而非本研究预期的调节效应。本研究结果提示，在社会规范传播实践中需采用基于文化根基与情境化的策略，同时应将文化概念融入社会规范理论体系。本文隶属于主题特刊《社会规范变革：从演化到政策干预》（Social Norm Change: From Evolution to Policy Intervention）。