Collective Norms Research Articles

Daily pro-environment behavior in a Pakistani sample: Self and collective efficacy, individual and social norms and environmental concerns

The aim of this study was to analyze the perceived self and collective efficacy, individual and social norms and feelings related to environmental health concern among a sample of Pakistanis who are (or are not) engage in pro- environment behaviors in their daily lives. An ad hoc questionnaire with scales on pro-environmental behavior, self and collective efficacy, individual and social norms, and environmental health concerns was administered to adults in Lahore, Pakistan, and 833 respondents (62% males and 38% females) responded. Analysis of our research data shows that among those who engaged in daily pro-environmental behaviors, perceptions of individual and social norms and individual and collective efficacy were positively associated with concern for the environment and health. This study offers some interesting ideas that could be useful in developing federal, regional, local and community policies to promote daily pro-environmental behaviors. For example, in addition to advocating for environmental health and reducing one’s ecological footprint, social communication could explain that caring about environmental health (and thus adopting daily pro-environmental behaviors) is a way to manage one’s mental health. In this way, circular behavior is encouraged, which not only benefits the environment and the community, but also brings personal benefits.

The role of involution on Chinese youth pursuit of postgraduate education abroad: examine through the lens of normative social behaviour

ABSTRACT Involution has gained significant traction in China in recent years, particularly in the realms of education and employment. With the economic slowdown, more individuals opt for postgraduate studies to enhance their skills and remain competitive. The keen competition in China has prompted some to pursue further studies abroad, while others leverage academic qualifications obtained from prestigious overseas universities to engage in job involution upon returning home. This phenomenon has been examined by a qualitative research, employing the Theory of Normative Social Behaviour (TNSB) as a lens for analysis. Through the TNSB, the study explores how involution functions as a social norm, influencing the pursuit of postgraduate education abroad among young individuals as a normative social behaviour. The research involved in-depth interviews with 15 mainland Chinese postgraduate students, focusing on three key norms. Descriptive norms shed light on the influence of peers and family members on students’ decisions regarding further education. Injunctive norms reveal how young individuals’ perceptions of external rewards and intrinsic benefits impact their pursuit of postgraduate studies. Collective norms explore the societal influences that shape their choices. Based on the findings, suggestions have been put forward to utilize involution as a driving force for healthy societal progression.

A CRIAÇÃO DE CONDOMÍNIOS EDILÍCIOS NO CONTEXTO DO ORDENAMENTO JURÍDICO

The objective of this research is to address the creation of condominium buildings within the legal framework. Initially, the concept of a condominium will be discussed. Subsequently, the legal regime of condominium buildings is detailed, highlighting Law No. 4,591/1964 as the main regulatory norm in Brazil. Following that, the legal nature of condominium buildings is analyzed, emphasizing the combination of individual ownership of private units with the co-ownership of common areas. The limits of property rights in the context of co-ownership are discussed, addressing how individual condominium owners’ rights are restricted by collective norms and decisions made in assemblies. The research methodology will be carried out through a literature review. These restrictions aim to maintain order and ensure harmonious coexistence among residents, imposing limits on the use of both private units and common areas. Next, the individual duties of condominium owners and the obligation of collective solidarity are explored. Finally, the article analyzes residential leasing of units within condominium buildings, considering how the private autonomy of landlords and tenants interacts with the collective rules of the condominium. The lease must comply with the internal regulations, ensuring that tenants also adhere to the obligations and responsibilities established to maintain order and peaceful coexistence.

Cultural Influences on Privacy Calculus in Loyalty Programs: An Analysis of Individual and National-Level Cultural Values

This study examines the roles played by cultural factors in shaping consumer privacy concerns within loyalty programs, analyzing responses from 1,259 consumers across four culturally diverse countries. It uncovers how variations in cultural dimensions, specifically uncertainty avoidance and individualism/collectivism, influence privacy concerns, trust, and loyalty toward retailers. The research reveals that individual-level uncertainty avoidance and collective cultural norms notably amplify privacy concerns, shedding light on the nuanced relationship between cultural values and consumer perceptions in the context of loyalty programs. This exploration contributes to a deeper understanding of cultural diversity's theoretical and practical implications on privacy concerns, offering insights vital for retailers looking to navigate the complexities of consumer trust and loyalty in a global marketplace. The findings underscore the necessity for culturally informed strategies to effectively manage privacy concerns.

Съвременното изкуство като феномен в ерата на аксиологична несигурност

Contemporary art is in a state of value collapse, which is the result of different factors: the process of art and reality becoming one, the influence of information technologies, globalization, and commoditization. On the one hand, the globalizing world finds it increasingly difficult to find intersections, which makes it impossible to establish collective and shared values and norms, and on the other hand, voluntary living in simulated informational realities breaks the connection with reality, leading to living instead in the giant simulacrum of hyperreality. The universal commoditization and the turning of art into a fetish create an anti-cultural situation in which there are no areas left outside of monetary exchange. All these factors influence the erosion of artistic values. The final stage of this process is sacralization through destruction and immortalization through the annihilation of the work of art.

Social norms and cooperation in higher-order networks

Recent research has been focused on understanding how cooperation is fostered through various mechanisms in cognitive settings, particularly through pairwise interactions. However, real-world interactions often extend beyond simple dyads, including multiple cliques with both pairwise and higher-order interactions. These complex interactions influence how individuals perceive and adapt their strategies based on social norms. We here introduce a model that explores the evolution of collective strategies and social norms within a heterogeneous environment, encompassing both dyadic and three-body interactions. We find that social norms play a crucial role in promoting cooperation in comparison with simply imitating the most successful neighbour. We also show that the rise of prosocial norms leads to increased cooperation across various social dilemmas, often resulting in shifts from defective to cooperative behaviour. Additionally, we observe that a moderate level of information privacy helps sustaining prosocial norms and curtails antisocial tendencies, even in situations where mutual defection might seem advantageous. Our research thus offers insights into the evolution of cooperation through the lens of social norm diffusion in higher-order networks.

Intuitive Theories and the Cultural Evolution of Morality

We explore the role of intuitive theories in the cultural evolution of moral cognition, integrating recent work across subfields of psychology and suggesting directions for future research. Focusing on intuitive theories in the moral domain concerning how people judge the moral value of actions and make inferences about moral character, we review evidence that the specific forms these theories take vary across individuals and can change via social learning. We propose that cultural selection can operate over the intuitive theories people apply in the moral domain, in which particular variants of intuitive moral theories can be more “successful” to the extent that they are cognitively efficient or provide reputational benefits. Finally, we explore some implications of considering moral cognition as a kind of cultural technology that can be innovated, considering whether intuitive moral theories help or hinder our ability to improve our collective moral norms or practices.

Why Do More People Commit Suicide after the Economic Bubble

This paper examines the relationship between the economic recession and the high suicidal rates in Japan during the post-economic bubble in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The aim of the study is to explore the relationship between the economic recession, mental health, suicide prevalence and sociocultural dynamics. The literature review and empirical analysis show compelling evidence linking economic instability, financial distress, and unemployment to increased suicide rates. In addition, this paper explores the interplay of cultural factors for instance, stigma surrounding mental health and collective norms, in explaining the vulnerability experienced by individuals during economic recessions and hard times. Key findings emphasize the role of economic stability in increasing vulnerabilities as well as the effects of unemployment, familial relationships and self-esteem. The findings also show that the societal pressure to adhere to traditional roles, especially in times of economic uncertainty, is a key stressor affecting mental well-being. The study advocates for detailed research strategies such as interviews and surveys to further investigate causal relationships. This research provides key insights into the varying factors that contribute to suicide during economic crises, suggesting the need for holistic interventions that address both sociocultural and economic dimensions.

Unsociability and social adjustment in Chinese preschool migrant children: the moderating role of receptive vocabulary.

Peer relationships play an indispensable role in the social, emotional, and cognitive development of children. However, children exhibiting social withdrawal, such as unsociability, may face challenges in social adjustment. In collectivistic cultures like China, unsociability may be perceived negatively, aligning poorly with collective norms. The objective of the present investigation was to examine the associations between unsociability, receptive vocabulary, and indicators of social adjustment in a cohort of young migrant children residing in urban regions of mainland China. The study mainly aimed to investigate the potential moderating influence of receptive language on these associations. The study involved 148 young children (82 boys, 66 girls, Mage = 62.32 months, SD = 6.76) enrolled in preschools or kindergartens in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Multiple sources of assessment were utilized, encompassing evaluations from mothers (about child unsociability), teacher (assessing social adjustment), and standardized tests (measuring receptive vocabulary). The results indicated that the relations between unsociability and peer exclusion were more positive among children with lower levels of receptive vocabulary but not significant for children with higher levels of receptive vocabulary. Similarly, the relations between unsociability and peer exclusion were more negative among children with lower levels of receptive vocabulary but not significant for children with higher levels of receptive vocabulary. Thus, this study informs us about how receptive vocabulary is jointly associated with unsociable children's development. As well, the findings highlight the importance of considering the meaning and implication of unsociability in Chinese culture.

Covid-19 pandemic, social normative compliance, and sustainable consumption: Evidence from experiments

This research aims to investigate the causal effects of consumers' Covid-19 pandemic experiences on their preferences for sustainable consumption. Drawing on social identity theory, we argue that pandemic experiences heighten consumers' awareness of the importance of adhering to collective social norms, subsequently motivating them to adopt sustainable consumption practices that promote collective interests. Through three preregistered experiments, we demonstrate that: (i) Covid-19 pandemic experiences increase consumers' preferences for sustainable consumption; (ii) this effect is more pronounced for individuals with severer pandemic experiences and females; (iii) pandemic experiences influence sustainable consumption preferences by enhancing consumers' social normative compliance. This study contributes to the understanding of Covid-19's consequences from a micro-level perspective of consumer behavior and offers insights into the factors driving consumers' sustainable consumption preferences.

Traditional Folk Clothes in the Dimension of Modern Nation Consolidation Processes

The article is devoted to folk culture, in particular, clothing as a powerful factor of national consolidation and expression of the mentality of Ukrainians in the war unleashed by russia. The pseudo-scientific narratives of russian scientists with the aim of destroying the identity and changing the consciousness of modern Ukrainians in support of the modern fascist regime of russia are considered. Emphasis is placed on the social (as a basic) criterion for understanding the role of the national dress, the embroidered shirt, in uniting our people during the Orange Revolution, the Revolution of Dignity, and russia’s war against Ukraine. In traditional culture, social and aesthetic functions in the contrast “friend or foe” embodied collective norms and aesthetics. This marking has acquired a new public, social meaning. Clothing is a representative of a person and their mentality. During the Revolution of Dignity, the embroidered shirt became an expression of the unity and resistance of the people of Ukraine on a national scale. In this period, the iconic function of national clothing, which defines Ukrainian belonging, is actualized. Using the example of the stories of the embroidery masters of Donetsk region, it is shown how the ethnic memory found a practical embodiment in the conditions of the war. They are united by a civic stance – to show that their land is primordially Ukrainian with a rich culture of folk clothing. For clothing researchers, these are very important facts as a source of understanding the modern functions of clothing. In particular, the informative function of embroidery is its cultural and social context, the author’s position regarding the russian war. This socio-cultural phenomenon powerfully characterises Ukrainian continuity and self-identity, and is therefore perceived by the occupiers as a weapon, just like the language and the entire heritage. Vyshyvanka is a symbol of indomitability and faith in victory for immigrants and those who survived the occupation. The article highlights the tendency to increase the value of the local heritage of the Little Motherland with its identification codes, which has determined the activities of many masters.

Influences of Social-Psychological Constructs in Predicting Taiwanese Pro-Environmental Behaviors.

A value-belief-norm (VBN) model for understanding the pro-environmental behaviors (PEB) of Taiwanese was developed. This formulated VBN model included personal values, openness to change, awareness of consequences, personal norms, social norms, and PEB. Ecological world view and ascription of responsibility were excluded to develop a tighter model. A total of 1079 completed questionnaires were collected and structural equation modelling was utilized, where standard estimates and coefficients of determination validated the formulated VBN model's effectiveness. Each construct served its role as the mediator between its distal variable and outcome variable, with a substantial level of predictive accuracy, and 74.3% of the variance in PEB was accounted for. Further findings found that mature individuals had a stronger tendency towards awareness of consequences due to personal values; the young had a stronger tendency towards personal norms due to awareness of consequences; men had a stronger tendency towards personal norms due to awareness of consequences; and women had a weaker tendency due to a greater emphasis on altruism. Future interventions, such as sharing of personal pro-environmental lifestyles verbally or through social media, periodically decluttering personal items and maintaining a minimalist lifestyle, where these personal norms are in line with collective social norms, could help to strengthen PEB.

Impact of Perceived and Collective Norms on COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors in 23 Countries: A Multi-Level Approach

ABSTRACT Social norms can be studied at both the individual and societal levels. While the influence of individual perceived norms on health behaviors has been well-documented, the role of societal-level factors in social normative influence remains unclear. We adopted a multilevel approach to investigate the impact of individual-level perceived norms, country-level collective norms, and individualistic culture on mask-wearing behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. A secondary analysis of cross-sectional data collected from 23 countries (N = 450,223) was conducted. The findings reveal that perceived descriptive norms, perceived injunctive norms, and collective norms conjointly influenced mask-wearing behavior. Positive relationships between perceived descriptive and injunctive norms and mask wearing were stronger in countries with a higher collective norm. Furthermore, positive relationships between norms (i.e., perceived descriptive norms, perceived injunctive norms, and collective norms) and mask wearing were stronger in countries with a more individualistic culture. The study provides evidence for theorizing social normative influence beyond the individual level and underscores the importance of incorporating multilevel factors in social norm research.

Rural Women Entrepreneurship based on Tourism Village through Post-Disaster Socio-Ecological Capital

Women have always been considered in several studies as the most vulnerable group to disaster risk and less involved in the post-disaster recovery process. This paper aims to find out and analyze the entrepreneurial activities of rural women who joined the management of Nusa Tourism Village as one of the post-disaster economic recovery efforts. The main question that will be answered in this study is how rural women are involved in entrepreneurial activities based on tourism villages after the tsunami. To answer this question, this paper uses qualitative methods with a constructivist paradigm and narrative approach. Data collection was conducted through interviews, observation, and documentation. The results showed that women of Nusa Village carried out tourism village-based entrepreneurial activities through socio-ecological capital. This socio-ecological capital consists of elements of social capital in the form of social relations, beliefs, collective norms, and collective actions. The element of ecological capital is in the form of the utilization of land, water, plants, and household waste which is packaged through various tour packages. This study concludes that socio-ecological capital is an important capital for rural women in carrying out entrepreneurial activities to recover the post-disaster economy.

Collective action lessons for the energy transition: learning from social movements of the past

To accelerate the energy transition and achieve the needed large-scale transformation to address climate change, different barriers including lock-ins and path dependencies, incumbent power structures and changing individual and collective norms, values, and behaviors around energy need to be addressed. In the face of these challenges, citizens are beginning to play a bigger role in the transformation of the energy system. For example, they are becoming prosumers (energy consumers who also produce energy) and are increasingly engaging in collective energy actions, including taking part in energy communities. In the latter instance, collective investment and consumption decisions are made together, and norms, understanding and behavior towards energy are shaped collectively. To better understand the roles that individuals and groups can play in confronting the challenges of the energy transition, we make use of and adapt Ostrom’s socio-ecological systems (SES) framework to analyze past examples of collective actions and to delve deeper into the causes and catalysts of collective actions. We show how this framework can be used to analyze collective actions across time and contexts, focusing on connecting individual and group behavior with changing societal norms and the corresponding barriers to change. By applying the adapted SES framework as a lens to analyze historical examples of collective actions that have resulted in a widespread transformation in social norms and structures, we identify similarities and differences between these case studies and the current energy transition. Confronting incumbents and the challenge of changing social norms and behaviors are among the similarities, but the specific tactics used to limit incumbents’ powers and the actions taken to influence the norms and behaviors differ. Lastly, we determine the key actors that influenced social and behavioral change, as one of the main outcomes of the analysis.

Political Party Collective Norms, Perceived Norms, and Mask Wearing Behavior: A Test of the Theory of Normative Social Behavior

ABSTRACT The theory of normative social behavior (TNSB) postulates that people are influenced by others’ behaviors, which they observe from messages and experience. In addition to focusing on perceived (i.e., descriptive and injunctive) norms, the TNSB was expanded to include collective norms, which represent what people actually do. Testing this expanded theoretical model, the current study examined whether two types of collective norms – collective political norms and collective regional norms – interacted with descriptive norms to influence pandemic mask wearing behavior expectations among U.S. adults (N = 444). The interaction was statistically significant for collective political norms (β = -.74, p = .009) but not collective regional norms (β = -.16, p = .85). Specifically, descriptive norms were related to increased mask wearing expectation for all values of political party collective norms, but the effects were stronger when political party collective norms were low (i.e., low mask wearing behavior was normative). The findings support the inclusion of collective norms in the TNSB, clarify the relationships among different types of norms, and provide insights for norms-based interventions.

Collective urban green revitalisation: Crime control an sustainable behaviours in lower-income neighbourhoods

The growing need to increase green spaces in highly urbanised cities has become more prominent recently. Special attention is paid to involving communities in the design process to enhance societal changes for a meaningful appreciation of the natural environment. Urban green collective initiatives in lower-income neighbourhoods have the potential to promote meaningful relatedness to the natural environment, agency, and stewardship. These initiatives contribute to new spatial collective norms that help decrease crime and violence. This study analyses a unique communal green space in Medellin, built and maintained by residents of the Villatina neighbourhood after a catastrophic landslide. After the disaster, residents exhibited self-organisation and collective efficacy to protect the space from being used by criminal actors. In 2010, the garden underwent renovations to be part of the ecosystem services network of the Circumvent Garden project. Although participatory strategies were implemented, the new social dynamics hindered collective actions in the space. This study contends that urban green collective initiatives in lower-income neighbourhoods introduce a unique form of communal action in urban green spaces, resulting in long-term societal changes. By integrating the collective placemaking strategies and key spatial elements in participatory design protocols, balanced social-environmental dynamics may be introduced to foster sustainable consciousness and minimise criminal behaviour.

The Role of Collective Group Orientation and Social Norms on Physical Distancing Behaviors for Disease Prevention

ABSTRACT To reduce the impact of communicable diseases like COVID-19, collective action is required and likely to be susceptible to normative influence as well as whether people are more or less collectively oriented. We extend the theory of normative social behavior (TNSB) to account for group orientation and predict the relationships between social norms and physical distancing behaviors. Using a rolling cross-sectional design during 17 weeks of the pandemic, a national sample of US residents from 20 states (N = 8,778) participated in the study. The findings show that perceived descriptive norms, injunctive norms, and group orientation are significantly associated with physical distancing. The descriptive norm-behavior relationship and injunctive norm-behavior relationship are moderated by group orientation and the other predicted moderators in the TNSB. The findings extend the TNSB and highlight the need to understand social norms and group orientation in formative research for health communication campaigns designed to promote prevention behaviors.

Modeling reflection in artificial intelligence systems: state of art and prospects

Abstract. The paper is devoted to analyzing the current state of research and assessing the prospects for modeling reflexive processes using artificial intelligence systems, in particular, multi-agent systems for relevant simulation of collective problem solving. Reflexive modeling of each other by agents will ensure the development of a coherent model of the control object, the purpose of collective work and norms of interaction, as well as the developing of effective interaction between agents. This will allow the system, by self-organizing, to adapt to the characteristics of arising problems, in particular, to take into account their complex structure, the network nature of conditions and goals, opacity, subjectivity and dynamism.

THE INSTITUTIONAL ROLE IN FACILITATING THE ADVANCEMENT OF EQUATOR PARK TOURISM WITHIN THE VILLAGE OF JERUJU BESAR

The research aims to determine the role of local institutions in the development of Equator Park tourism in Jeruju Besar Village, Sungai Kakap District. The descriptive method is a useful option for describing, depicting and analyzing objects, conditions, and responses to an event that occurred in the Equator Park development. The results of this research are that Equator Park was built with the involvement of local institutions, namely POKDARWIS through role indicators at the preparatory stage. The imitating stage, Equator Park is inspired by Telok Standing Ecotourism which is on the Kupah River, this ecotourism also takes advantage of nature's preservation. Human Resources there use tickets for operational funds so that the rides there can be properly maintained. The last stage is the stage of accepting collective norms, with this stage the level of concern for villagers also increases