Social norms and activity: Examining salience

Abstract

Recent research examining social norms and activity behaviour has used the focus theory of normative conduct as its theoretical underpinning (Cialdini et al., 1990).  While relationships have emerged (Priebe & Spink, 2011), one of the main postulates of the theory has yet to be tested - that norms will only influence behaviour when the norm is salient to the individual. This study aimed to examine the impact of norms on effort in an activity task where salience for activity differed (Kinesiology/non-Kinesiology students). Participants were assigned to one of two conditions: control (n=12) or normative (n=13), and then asked to perform two activity tasks (planks) to maximum exertion separated by a 3-minute rest. During the rest, participants in the normative condition were told, “80% of similar others believe that individuals should be able to hold their second plank 20% longer, and 80% of these people held their second plank 20% longer”; control received no message. A mixed-design ANCOVA (controlling for time-1 plank) revealed differences between conditions in time-2 plank hold (p < .001); however, this was qualified by a significant condition/group interaction (p = .04) where differences between conditions only emerged for the Kinesiology students (p < .001). The finding that normative messages elicit a larger behaviour change than when no message is presented is consistent with past activity research (Priebe et al., 2013). However, the fact that this effect only occurred for Kinesiology students suggests that messages might only be effective when the message is salient to the individual.