Social Norming Revisited

Social norming sees human nature for what it is and works with it for improvement

More than three years ago I wrote about social norming. To recap that post, research indicates that getting people to change their behaviors can be more effectively accomplished by telling them what others — peers, neighbors, friends — are doing when it comes to behaviors. This replaces nagging or offering negative messages to discourage certain behaviors. By offering accurate information regarding what the social norms of those around them are — knowledge typically either unavailable or incorrect, most people respond by adjusting their own habits.

Social norming works because it appeals to our sense of community and responsibility, and it also helps us gauge where we are in behaviors and habits relative to others. But to be effective, the message has to be carefully worded to have the desired effect — enhancing the value of good choices and/or making negative choices seem undesirable because others also avoid the same ones. It might seem manipulative, but all social norming does is give people reference points that can be used in making behavioral choices.

Of course, some who are more conservative in their world view find fault with social norming because it doesn’t set strict parameters about what is right and wrong but rather only influences behavior without prohibiting it. My inner pragmatist reacts negatively to this objection on the simple premise that disapproval doesn’t work, whereas social norming does. Social norming sees human nature for what it is and works with it for improvement.

There are variations of social norming that are common but not obvious. In some cultures, children are taught to not disappoint family, friends and neighbors by misbehaving or doing things that bring shame on any or all of them. Or, it can be seeing neighbors putting carts meant for recycling trash out on the street each week. Sometimes it’s simply noting how many in a community are participating in a program. And then there’s offering data without any other message.

Social norming has been used to help deal with excessive drinking at parties by college students. It turned out that many students assumed everyone was having five or more drinks of some kind at a party when the average was more like two. Simply posting or casually noting this had the effect of reducing excessive drinking far more than any other form of attempt to deal with the issue. Feeling like part of the group, of belonging, has a greater motivational effect than lectures and warnings.

I’m revisiting this topic — at this moment — for those who have little or no knowledge of social norming because it turns out that despite all the efforts, programs and incentives attempting to increase voter turnout, the only one that is most reliable and has the greatest impact is social norming. The expectations regarding voting from those who actually vote has the effect of motivating those less likely to vote. It’s sort of like peer pressure, but instead relies upon others simply talking about how important it is to them to vote and why being able to vote matters so much.

People accustomed to living in a democratic society take the stability of democracy and voting for granted, but the 2016 election should be a reminder that appreciating these matters. Even those who might feel left out need to comprehend how much worse things could be without the right to vote and the acceptance of election results on principle. There’s no more effective way to ensure these continue than social norming. When everyone cares about and appreciates what they have — and many in other countries would love to have, our society is all the better for it and more likely to find solutions to its issues.

This is the reality and conundrum of human existence. Lots of opinions, rules and expectations, but less agreement and consensus regarding them. Given all the complexities of coexistence, social norms are functionally the matrix upon which we share life as a society — from small towns to a large nation. Faced with the tasks of getting along and finding happiness, social norming is pragmatically positive.