Why copy faithfully? Examining the role of social affiliation and norms understanding in preschoolers’ overimitation

This research systematically investigates the complicated social dynamics inside Indian culture, with a particular emphasis on the intersections of identity, marriage, and caste, using an internet survey as its major instrument. Drawing on Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann’s theoretical framework of social production of reality, the research seeks to explain growing shifts in urban society. The merging of identity, marriage, and caste is still a complicated and deeply embedded feature of Indian culture today. Traditional markers such as caste and religion frequently impact social position demarcation, personal connection creation, and the allocation of socioeconomic prospects. Understanding the dynamics of these cultural structures is critical for appreciating the complexities of Indian social structure and confronting issues of inequality and injustice. The present study seeks to delve into these complexities through the lens of an online survey conducted among individuals across various demographics in India. By exploring perspectives on identity, marriage preferences, and perceptions of caste, this research aims to shed light on the evolving landscape of social relationships and norms in the country. The intersectionality of caste with other identity markers such as religion, gender, and socio-economic status further complicates the social landscape. Marriage, another cornerstone of Indian culture, is frequently used to perpetuate caste-based connections and customs. Endogamy, in which people marry within their own caste or social group, is popular, demonstrating the survival of caste-based identity and social norms. However, increasing socioeconomic realities, urbanization, and changing views towards marriage and relationships are rapidly eroding these long-held conventions. The study attempts to unravel the complicated fabric of the Indian social structure through a thorough collection of queries meant to investigate individual perceptions and society norms. The views of respondents on traditional identification markers like caste and religion, their factors and preferences when choosing a life partner, and the perceived relationships between caste, marriage, and social stratification are important topics of research. By carefully examining the information gathered from the online poll, this research offers insightful information on how social ties and norms are changing in modern-day India.

Because online circumstances allows communication remotely and out of synchronization, along with a better communication capacity, online referral reward programs in social networks may have different characteristics compared with traditional referral reward programs. This paper studied the effects of reward allocation, tie strength and brand relationships on receivers’ responses in referral reward programs and confirmed the mediating effects of social cost. It investigates the impact of online referral reward programs on receivers’ responses from the perspectives of social norms and market norms. We identify the moderating conditions that are expected to affect when and how a reward leads the receiver to infer social norms, thereby increasing the referral’s effectiveness. In study 1, because receivers with different tie may have relationships based on market norms or social norms (Wentzel et al. in J Serv Res 17(2):119–133, 2014), we examine the effect of tie strength and reward allocation on receivers’ responses in online referral reward programs. Furthermore, we extended the analysis of study 1 in two ways through the introduction of brand relationships and reward characteristics. In study 2, we introduced brand relationships to analyze the effect of tie strength and reward allocation on receivers’ responses. In study 3, we studied the effects of reward type and tie strength on receivers’ responses in online referral reward programs. To capture the underlying process, we also examined the participants’ perceptions of social cost in three studies. Finally, we conclude by discussing the theoretical and managerial implications of the findings. People with strong ties tended to accept a referral more often than those with weak ties, because people with strong ties gave their friends’ benefits more consideration. However, in strong brand relationships, receivers with strong ties in No Reward conditions tend to respond to referrals more than those with strong ties in the Reward Recommender conditions, because rewarding recommenders makes social norms transfer into market norms. This paper extended the theory on effect of reward on receivers’ responses in online referral reward programs and further verified that social cost was a key element of psychological mechanism that caused reward to strengthen receivers’ responses under market norms or social norms. This paper researched how social norms and market norms affected consumers’ behaviors differently, which helped company design online referral reward programs. This paper researched the relationships between market norms and social norms on receivers’ responses in online social network.

Background: Adolescent smoking is a significant public health concern, with peer group dynamics and social norms playing a central role in influencing smoking behaviors. Perceptions of peer smoking prevalence and approval (descriptive and injunctive norms) are known to impact adolescent smoking initiation, but the mechanisms underlying these relationships remain unclear. Objective: This study aims to investigate the role of perceived social norms, peer pressure, and social ties in adolescent smoking behavior, with a focus on the mediating and moderating effects of misperceptions and peer smoking prevalence. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used, combining qualitative and quantitative research techniques. Initially, secondary data analysis was conducted to explore existing research on social norms and adolescent smoking. This was followed by three focus group discussions with Bangladeshi adolescents to gain insights into their perceptions of peer smoking behavior and social norms. A survey was then administered to gather quantitative data on adolescents' smoking behavior, peer group smoking prevalence, and perceptions of social norms. Results: The study found significant correlations between perceived descriptive norms (beliefs about peer smoking prevalence) and perceived injunctive norms (beliefs about peer approval of smoking) with smoking behavior. Additionally, peer pressure and misperceptions of peer smoking behavior were identified as mediators in the relationship between perceived norms and smoking initiation. Peer smoking prevalence and social ties to smokers were found to moderate the effects of perceived norms on smoking behavior. Conclusion: The study highlights the significant role of social norms and peer influences in adolescent smoking behavior. Correcting misperceptions about peer smoking prevalence, reducing peer pressure, and addressing social ties to smokers are essential components of effective smoking prevention programs. The findings...

In Malawi, 50% of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) have had a first child by age 19 and 45% report their pregnancies as unintended or mistimed. Yet, uptake of contraception remains low. Understanding how interactions with social ties impact AGYW contraceptive use might explain low uptake beyond individual and environmental factors. Data are from Girl-Power, a study among sexually active AGYW, aged 15–24, in Malawi. We used logistic regression models to examine whether contraceptive communication and social norms (descriptive and injunctive) were associated with contraceptive use (non-barrier methods and condoms) and how associations differed across social ties (older women in the family, peers, and partners). The sample included 942 participants: 28% reported using non-barrier methods and 66% reported using condoms. Contraceptive communication with older women in the family (aOR: 1.48, 95% CI: 0.99, 2.20), peers (aOR: 3.12, 95% CI: 1.96, 4.96), and partners (aOR 5.15, 95% CI: 3.13, 8.48) was associated with non-barrier method use. Descriptive norms were associated with non-barrier methods among peers (aOR 2.57, 95% CI: 1.63, 4.96) but not among older women in the family (aOR: 1.22, 95% CI 0.80, 1.88). There were no associations among contraceptive communication, social norms, and condom use across older women in the family, peers, and partners. The findings highlight the need to consider the influence of social ties in the design of future family planning interventions and suggest that interventions that encourage interpersonal communication about contraception and target peer-based descriptive norms have the potential to impact uptake of non-barrier methods.

Introduction: Child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) remains a problem in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to investigate contextual social norms on CEFM and explore barriers to implementation of policies designed to address these norms in Mozambique, Uganda, and Ethiopia. Methods: Qualitative data was collected from a total of 90 respondents. Forty-two (n=42) interviews were conducted with adolescents, parents, traditional leaders, government officials and civil society organizations. Four (n=4) focus group discussions (FGDs) were held with parents, adolescents, community members and community leaders, comprising a total of 48 participants. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The main social norms which contributed to CEFM in the three countries included the high social value attached to the motherhood status; the commodification of marriage; marriage as a rite of passage into adulthood, social construction of sexuality and the collective moral judgment about responsible parenthood. The norms were sustained by allowing those who abide by them to accumulate social and economic benefits such as stronger social ties within the community and improved social status. Although several policies and laws have been enacted to address these social norms, their impact has been limited. The main policy implementation barriers were the inadequate consideration of social norms that promote CEFM within the policy and legal framework, limited collaboration among key stakeholders, lack of comprehensive monitoring processes, and difficulties among community members to understand the policies due to low literacy levels and poor policy monitoring. Conclusion: Enhancing the policy response to social norms that perpetuate CEFM will require strengthening collaboration between non-governmental organizations, government departments and community leaders in implementation and monitoring of the policies.

Dans cet article, nous proposons une revue de la littérature identifiant l’apport central de la psychologie sociale à l’analyse économique. Nous précisons tout d’abord le champ recouvert par la psychologie, ses centres d’intérêt, ses méthodes et ses outils d’analyse. Nous montrons ensuite comment l’introduction des processus interpersonnels décrits par les psychologues – dissonance cognitive, heuristiques mentales, erreur fondamentale d’attribution, diffusion de la responsabilité, pensée magique, biais de faux consensus, croyance en un monde juste – permet de mieux cerner les environnements dans lesquels la rationalité de la décision économique s’opère et ceux dans lesquels les autorités publiques peuvent intervenir pour rendre la décision plus efficace. Nous nous centrons ensuite sur le rôle majeur de l’influence sociale (conformisme, leadership), de la formation des groupes (identité, discrimination) ou encore des liens sociaux (famille, amis), dans la prise de décision économique individuelle et collective. Notre revue montre que la collaboration entre économistes et psychologues, la mise en commun de leur pratique et de leur expérience, peut déboucher sur des outils plus performants de politique publique.

The thin-ideal is becoming increasingly dominant among women in Eastern Asian countries such as China and South Korea. The internalization of the thin-ideal leads to body image disturbance and unhealthy weight-control behaviors. Based on the social networks and social norms approaches, this study tests the effectiveness of normative messages in reducing women's internationalization of the thin-ideal and weight-control intentions through an experiment among female college students in China. It investigates how the following three factors: content of normative message (psychoeducational or feminist), source of the message (strong ties or weak ties), and characteristics of the recipients (self-weight evaluations) influence women's body image and weight-control intentions. Results of this study suggest that normative messages with a psychoeducational approach delivered through strong ties are more effective in decreasing women's internalization of the thin-ideal than the same message delivered through weak ties. In contrast, normative messages with a feminist approach delivered through weak ties are more effective in reducing women's internalization of the thin-ideal and unhealthy weight-control intentions than the same messages delivered through strong ties. There is an interaction effect between message content and recipients' self-weight evaluation. The theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed.

Researchers have identified the need for further study of subjective and social influences on personal transportation choices. Set in a workplace-based commute alternative program, this study examines the impact of transportation-related social context and past transportation experience on commute mode choice. Through a purposive, paired sample design with ten individuals, this qualitative study examines influences on commute behavior using narrative interviews and a commute documentation activity. The five pairs of individuals were matched across variables in such a way as to hold constant workplace, basic demographics, and residential location. Social norms found to influence individual use of alternative commute modes involved the commute behavior and attitudes of close social ties and the situational relevance of social ties’ commute behavior. These behavior-related social norms, coupled with past transportation experience and mediated by perceptions and feelings, were found to be helpful in explaining commute mode choice. Implications for social interventions that encourage use of alternative transportation modes are discussed.

Human behavior is the largest source of variance in health-related outcome, and the increasingly popular online health network can be used to promote health behavior and health outcome. Based on social norm, social support and number of social ties, this study explores how different online social ties correlate with the health behavior of users. With the ordered logistic regression model, we find that social norms and social supports from online social ties positive related with both dietary and exercise behavior. We also find that the competing relationship gets a stronger relationship with behavior than the mutual support relationship. This study extends the research on health behavior to online social environment. The result could be used for guiding users to make use of online social ties for changing and keeping health behavior, and for helping the healthcare website improve their services.

One weakness in some contemporary New Testament studies involves examining a word meaning without considering the depth of its meaning in light of historical, social, and customary first-century usage. The challenge comes in reading a word in contemporary twenty-first-century language, but understanding its full meaning from the first-century culture. New Testament studies of Paul in his Epistle to the Romans tend to focus on his theology as a theological treatise or to focus on certain social theories that limit the scope of cultural underpinnings in the Greek text. Obligation as ethics, the power of óϕϵιλη(obligation) as the key to conflict resolution, aims to examine Romans 14:1-15:13 in its historical-sociological context with an emphasis on Roman law. <br><br> Rome was a peculiar society where its inhabitants were required to fulfil obligations and duties as a vital part of daily living. Therefore, obligation in Roman society filters through Roman law, character, customs, and a path of duty in daily life. Obligation in the Christian community required rethinking the customary standards in obligation to Jesus Christ. Roman law influenced custom, determined a course of social interactions, and reinforced behaviour patterns. It was founded on Roman law and its legal basis set forth a map, a plan, a nexus of social ties in relationships, and clear expectations in daily social practice. Roman law itself was structured in a framework of Graeco-Roman virtues and vices which influenced the character and societal customs (<i>mores</i>) of its citizens and non-citizens. <br><br> The construct of virtue, as practiced in the first century, accentuated a long history of aristocratic rules and defined social roles that solidified a Roman social hierarchy that polarized two social classes: the strong and the weak. The strong were the aristocratic superiors based on rank, status, wealth, and prestige. The weak were social inferiors who, according to Roman law and the <i>mores</i>, were obligated to submit to the power of the strong. Roman obligation, a critical tool for Roman social practice, order, harmony, and conflict resolution, served in society as a lubricant to order society and to relieve social tensions. <br><br> The textual evidence of Romans 14:1-15:13, and the context underpinning it, indicate that the social distinctions of ‘the strong’ and ‘the weak’ were reflected in the early church in Rome. Their tendency, based upon Roman law and social custom, was to relate as the superior strong and the inferior weak with the weak obliged to submit. However, Paul plunders this concept and makes use of the conventional tool of Roman obligation in a new way. His countercultural solution aimed to resolve the tension that threatened to split the church.

This paper focuses on governance of informal financing, specially, the group-based micro-finance institution. In Chinese social system, we developed a theoretical model which is about the governance of informal financing institutions of startup small businesses. In this, we want to analyze both the structure and its affecting factors of social governance system for such non market institution, in other words, to show how collective action can be affected by the interaction among Chinese social norms, social ties and group lending operations. There are several findings in our research: In micro-finance institution, social ties is prevalently used as governance instrument, the strategic choice is usually affected by the social ties and social interaction. These factors themselves increase the expectation of others collective action. Since group members adjust their action based on expectations of others, when your expectation of others' collective action occurs, you will be likely to undertake your responsibility of repaying. Thus, group lending shows strong dynamic incentive and evolutionary features. In addition, the Chinese social norms (such as MIANZI, RENQING, BAO) as moderators, also have effects on the relationship between social structure and performance of lending group. Because the participants will save face for their default partners, the social pressure and punishment was weakened by the social ties. Different from the individual adverse selection caused by imperfect information, we call the default which results from sharing social norms in lending group, the “Norm-based Adverse Selection (NAS)”.

OBJETIVO: Conocer y describir los valores de mayor importancia en estudiantes de secundaria de Centros Educativos de Lima Metropolitana, así como las diferencias en los Valores entre estudiantes que participan y no participan en actos violentos. DISEÑO: Estudio descriptivo correlacional, en estudiantes del tercero al quinto de secundaria de Centros Educativos Nacionales de Lima Metropolitana. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: La muestra estuvo constituida por 1226 estudiantes con una edad promedio de 16 años. Para la construcción del instrumento de valores se tuvo como referencia el Cuestionario de Valores de Valdez J., el cual fue reestructurado y adaptado para nuestra realidad. RESULTADOS: Se encontró que los valores que rigen la vida de los estudiantes de secundaria de Lima Metropolitana son: adhesión social, ético moral, altruismo, religioso, normas cívicas, desarrollo personal y afiliativo. En los alumnos que no participan en actos violentos predominan los valores de adhesión social, ético-moral, altruismo, religioso, normas cívicas y desarrollo personal en comparación con los violentos, mientras que el valor afiliativo es común en ambos. Las mujeres se orientan por los valores de adhesión social, ético moral, altruismo, religioso, normas cívicas y afiliativo en comparación con los hombres, mientras que es común en ambos el valor desarrollo personal. CONCLUSIONES: Según el grado de instrucción solo existen diferencias en el valor altruismo, determinando esto que conforme aumenta el grado de instrucción aumenta la capacidad de desprendimiento y ayuda a los demás. En cuanto a la edad solo se encontró diferencias en el valor ético moral, lo que nos indica que conforme aumenta la edad se consolidan los aspectos vinculados con la autocensura y la autoaceptación relacionada con la estructura familiar.

Forming relationship commitments to online communities: The role of social motivations

We studied the factors that influence attitudes toward the COVID‐19 vaccine by testing 1872 people across 29 provinces in China. We investigated an individual trait (responsibilism) and two situational factors (a descriptive norm and an injunctive norm). Responsibilism is a version of collectivism that emphasizes tight social ties and responsibilities in close relationships. Responsibilism and perceptions of strong social norms predicted acceptance of the COVID‐19 vaccine. The data also revealed an interplay between responsibilism and social norms. People high in responsibilism accepted the vaccine regardless of social norms. But people low in responsibilism were wary of the vaccine, unless they perceived strong injunctive norms. These findings contribute to the research on psychological factors behind vaccine hesitancy. The findings could help provide a roadmap for public health efforts to encourage vaccines.

Unraveling the 'Social' in Social Norms: The Conditioning Effect of User Connectivity