Nightlife Patrons’ Personal and Descriptive Norms Regarding Sexual Behaviors

Abstract

The behavior of some nightlife-setting patrons would be unacceptable in workplaces or public settings and could cause distress to other patrons. This quantitative study determined 381 young Australian’s descriptive (i.e., what they perceive to be the behavior most other people engage in) and personal norms regarding four types of sexual behavior (dancing, grabbing, grinding, and kissing). Participants’ personal norms were that these behaviors are wrong, but they reported that the behaviors are common in a nightlife setting. Behaviors such as these could theoretically be prevented by modifying patrons’ descriptive norms with evidence that their beliefs are contrary to individuals’ personal norms of acceptable behavior in nightlife settings.