The Experts below are selected from a list of 360 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Suzanne Higgs - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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two observational studies examining the effect of a Social Norm and a health message on the purchase of vegetables in student canteen settings
Appetite, 2019Co-Authors: Eric Robinson, Jason Michael Thomas, Paul Aveyard, Susan A Jebb, Peter C Herman, Emily Collins, Suzanne HiggsAbstract:There is some evidence from laboratory-based studies that descriptive Social-Norm messages are associated with increased consumption of vegetables, but evidence of their effectiveness in real-world settings is limited. In two observational field studies taking an ecological approach, a vegetable-related Social Norm (e.g. "Did you know that most students here choose to eat vegetables with their meal?"), and a health message (e.g. "Did you know that students who choose to eat vegetables have a lower risk of heart disease?") were displayed in two different student canteens. Purchases were observed during three stages: baseline, intervention (when the posters were displayed) and immediate post-intervention (when the posters had been removed). Study 1 (n = 7598) observed the purchase of meals containing a portion of vegetables and Study 2 (n = 4052) observed the purchase of side portions of vegetables. In Study 1, relative to baseline, the Social-Norms intervention was associated with an increase in purchases of vegetables (from 63% to 68% of meals; OR = 1.24, CI = 1.03-1.49), which was sustained post-intervention (67% of meals; OR = 0.96, CI = 0.80-1.15). There was no effect of the health message (75% of meals at baseline, and 74% during the intervention; OR = 0.98, CI = 0.83-1.15). In Study 2, relative to baseline, there was an effect of both the Social Norm (22.9% of meals at baseline, rising to 32.5% during the intervention; OR = 1.62, CI = 1.27-2.05) and health message (rising from 43.8% at baseline to 52.8%; OR = 0.59, CI = 0.46-0.75). The increase was not sustained post-intervention for the Social Norm intervention (22.1%; OR = 0.59, CI = 0.46-0.75), but was sustained for the health intervention (48.1%; OR = 0.83, CI = 0.67-1.02). These results support further testing of the effectiveness of such messages in encouraging healthier eating and indicate the need for larger-scale testing at multiple sites using a randomised-controlled design.
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using a descriptive Social Norm to increase vegetable selection in workplace restaurant settings
Health Psychology, 2017Co-Authors: Jason Michael Thomas, Eric Robinson, Amanda Ursell, Paul Aveyard, Susan A Jebb, Peter C Herman, Suzanne HiggsAbstract:Objective: Recent work has shown that exposure to Social Norm messages may enhance the consumption of vegetables. However, the majority of this work has been conducted in laboratories, often with student populations. Little is known about whether this approach can be successfully used in other contexts. In this study, a poster featuring a message based on Social Norms was tested to examine whether it could increase and maintain the purchase of meals with vegetables in workplace restaurants. Methods: A pretest-posttest design with three phases was used in three workplace restaurants in the United Kingdom. The first two weeks formed the pre-intervention phase, the second two weeks the intervention phase, and the last two weeks the post-intervention phase. During the intervention phase only, posters containing a Social Norm message relaying information about vegetable purchases of other diners were placed in each restaurant. The main outcome measure was the percentage of meals purchased with vegetables, which was analysed using Pearson’s chi-squared test. Results: Participants were judged to be: male (57%), not overweight (75%) and under the age of 60 (98%). The intervention was positively associated with the percentage of meals purchased with vegetables: baseline vs. intervention (60% vs. 64% of meals purchased with vegetables; p < 0.01); intervention vs. post-intervention (64% vs. 67% of meals purchased with vegetables; p < 0.01); and baseline vs. post-intervention (60% vs. 67% of meals purchased with vegetables; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Social Norm messages may increase the purchase of vegetables in workplace settings. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)
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prompting healthier eating testing the use of health and Social Norm based messages
Health Psychology, 2014Co-Authors: Eric Robinson, Alexander Fleming, Suzanne HiggsAbstract:Objective: Health based messages are commonly used to promote fruit and vegetable intake, but are limited in their effectiveness. Social Norm messages, which suggest other people are eating healthily, may be more effective. Our aim was to compare the effect on food selection of a message containing health related information about fruit and vegetable consumption with a message containing Social Normative information about consumption of fruit and vegetables. Method: In two laboratory studies, predominantly young female adult students were exposed to a health or Social Norm message about fruit and vegetables. In Study 1, lunch meal food selections and intake were assessed and in Study 2, snack food selections and intake were assessed. Study 1 examined the effect of a descriptive Social Norm (information about what others are eating) versus a health message and Study 2 examined the effect of both a descriptive Norm and an injunctive Norm message (information about what others approve of) versus a health message. Results: In Study 1, exposure to a descriptive Social Norm message resulted in significantly more vegetables being selected and eaten than exposure to a health message. In Study 2, exposure to a descriptive Social Norm message resulted in significantly more fruit and vegetables and less high energy dense snack food being selected and eaten than exposure to a health message. There was no effect of exposure to the injunctive Norm message. In both studies, significant differences between the Social Norm and health message conditions were observed in low but not high usual consumers of fruit and vegetables. Conclusions: For the promotion of healthy eating, Social Norm messages may be more effective than health messages for consumers failing to adhere to dietary guidelines.
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Eat as they eat, not as they think. Descriptive but not injunctive Social Norm messages can increase fruit and vegetable intake
Appetite, 2013Co-Authors: Eric Robinson, Suzanne HiggsAbstract:Social Norms influence food choice and intake and could be exploited to promote healthier eating. Here we test the effect of two types of Social Norm messages on consumption of fruit and vegetables (FV) in low and high consumers of fruit and vegetables. Young adults (n = 75) read a poster that either (1) stated that other young adults regularly eat FV (descriptive Social Norm) or (2) stated that other young adults approve of regularly eating FV (injunctive Social Norm) or (3) outlined the health benefits of eating FV (control condition). Shortly after reading the poster participants were offered a snack including FV. Choice and intake were measured covertly. In habitually low consumers of FV, fruit and vegetable selection and intake was higher after reading a descriptive Norm poster than after reading about the health benefits of eating FV. However, participants viewing an injunctive Norm poster ate a similar amount of FV as the participants in the health control condition. No effect of message type was observed in habitually high consumers of FV with habitual high consumers in all conditions selecting and eating a large amount of FV. These findings indicate that Social Norm messages emphasising behavioural Norms may have more potential than injunctive Norms in encouraging healthier eating. They further suggest that Social Normative information may not bring about behavioural change due to Social approval concerns.
Eric Robinson - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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two observational studies examining the effect of a Social Norm and a health message on the purchase of vegetables in student canteen settings
Appetite, 2019Co-Authors: Eric Robinson, Jason Michael Thomas, Paul Aveyard, Susan A Jebb, Peter C Herman, Emily Collins, Suzanne HiggsAbstract:There is some evidence from laboratory-based studies that descriptive Social-Norm messages are associated with increased consumption of vegetables, but evidence of their effectiveness in real-world settings is limited. In two observational field studies taking an ecological approach, a vegetable-related Social Norm (e.g. "Did you know that most students here choose to eat vegetables with their meal?"), and a health message (e.g. "Did you know that students who choose to eat vegetables have a lower risk of heart disease?") were displayed in two different student canteens. Purchases were observed during three stages: baseline, intervention (when the posters were displayed) and immediate post-intervention (when the posters had been removed). Study 1 (n = 7598) observed the purchase of meals containing a portion of vegetables and Study 2 (n = 4052) observed the purchase of side portions of vegetables. In Study 1, relative to baseline, the Social-Norms intervention was associated with an increase in purchases of vegetables (from 63% to 68% of meals; OR = 1.24, CI = 1.03-1.49), which was sustained post-intervention (67% of meals; OR = 0.96, CI = 0.80-1.15). There was no effect of the health message (75% of meals at baseline, and 74% during the intervention; OR = 0.98, CI = 0.83-1.15). In Study 2, relative to baseline, there was an effect of both the Social Norm (22.9% of meals at baseline, rising to 32.5% during the intervention; OR = 1.62, CI = 1.27-2.05) and health message (rising from 43.8% at baseline to 52.8%; OR = 0.59, CI = 0.46-0.75). The increase was not sustained post-intervention for the Social Norm intervention (22.1%; OR = 0.59, CI = 0.46-0.75), but was sustained for the health intervention (48.1%; OR = 0.83, CI = 0.67-1.02). These results support further testing of the effectiveness of such messages in encouraging healthier eating and indicate the need for larger-scale testing at multiple sites using a randomised-controlled design.
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using a descriptive Social Norm to increase vegetable selection in workplace restaurant settings
Health Psychology, 2017Co-Authors: Jason Michael Thomas, Eric Robinson, Amanda Ursell, Paul Aveyard, Susan A Jebb, Peter C Herman, Suzanne HiggsAbstract:Objective: Recent work has shown that exposure to Social Norm messages may enhance the consumption of vegetables. However, the majority of this work has been conducted in laboratories, often with student populations. Little is known about whether this approach can be successfully used in other contexts. In this study, a poster featuring a message based on Social Norms was tested to examine whether it could increase and maintain the purchase of meals with vegetables in workplace restaurants. Methods: A pretest-posttest design with three phases was used in three workplace restaurants in the United Kingdom. The first two weeks formed the pre-intervention phase, the second two weeks the intervention phase, and the last two weeks the post-intervention phase. During the intervention phase only, posters containing a Social Norm message relaying information about vegetable purchases of other diners were placed in each restaurant. The main outcome measure was the percentage of meals purchased with vegetables, which was analysed using Pearson’s chi-squared test. Results: Participants were judged to be: male (57%), not overweight (75%) and under the age of 60 (98%). The intervention was positively associated with the percentage of meals purchased with vegetables: baseline vs. intervention (60% vs. 64% of meals purchased with vegetables; p < 0.01); intervention vs. post-intervention (64% vs. 67% of meals purchased with vegetables; p < 0.01); and baseline vs. post-intervention (60% vs. 67% of meals purchased with vegetables; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Social Norm messages may increase the purchase of vegetables in workplace settings. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)
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encouraging children to eat more fruit and vegetables health vs descriptive Social Norm based messages
Appetite, 2016Co-Authors: Maxine Sharps, Eric RobinsonAbstract:Traditional intervention approaches to promote fruit and vegetable consumption outline the health benefits of eating fruit and vegetables. More recently, Social Norm-based messages describing the healthy eating habits of others have been shown to increase fruit and vegetable intake in adults. Here we report two experimental studies which investigated whether exposure to descriptive Social Norm-based messages about the behaviour of other children and health-based messages increased fruit and vegetable intake in young children. In both studies children were exposed to messages whilst playing a board-game. After exposure to the messages, children were able to consume fruit and vegetables, as well as high calorie snack foods. Although findings were inconsistent across the two individual studies, in a pooled analysis we found evidence that both health messages and descriptive Social Norm-based messages increased children's fruit and vegetable intake, relative to control condition messages (p < .05). Whether descriptive Social Norm-based messages can be used to promote meaningful changes to children's dietary behaviour warrants further study.
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prompting healthier eating testing the use of health and Social Norm based messages
Health Psychology, 2014Co-Authors: Eric Robinson, Alexander Fleming, Suzanne HiggsAbstract:Objective: Health based messages are commonly used to promote fruit and vegetable intake, but are limited in their effectiveness. Social Norm messages, which suggest other people are eating healthily, may be more effective. Our aim was to compare the effect on food selection of a message containing health related information about fruit and vegetable consumption with a message containing Social Normative information about consumption of fruit and vegetables. Method: In two laboratory studies, predominantly young female adult students were exposed to a health or Social Norm message about fruit and vegetables. In Study 1, lunch meal food selections and intake were assessed and in Study 2, snack food selections and intake were assessed. Study 1 examined the effect of a descriptive Social Norm (information about what others are eating) versus a health message and Study 2 examined the effect of both a descriptive Norm and an injunctive Norm message (information about what others approve of) versus a health message. Results: In Study 1, exposure to a descriptive Social Norm message resulted in significantly more vegetables being selected and eaten than exposure to a health message. In Study 2, exposure to a descriptive Social Norm message resulted in significantly more fruit and vegetables and less high energy dense snack food being selected and eaten than exposure to a health message. There was no effect of exposure to the injunctive Norm message. In both studies, significant differences between the Social Norm and health message conditions were observed in low but not high usual consumers of fruit and vegetables. Conclusions: For the promotion of healthy eating, Social Norm messages may be more effective than health messages for consumers failing to adhere to dietary guidelines.
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Eat as they eat, not as they think. Descriptive but not injunctive Social Norm messages can increase fruit and vegetable intake
Appetite, 2013Co-Authors: Eric Robinson, Suzanne HiggsAbstract:Social Norms influence food choice and intake and could be exploited to promote healthier eating. Here we test the effect of two types of Social Norm messages on consumption of fruit and vegetables (FV) in low and high consumers of fruit and vegetables. Young adults (n = 75) read a poster that either (1) stated that other young adults regularly eat FV (descriptive Social Norm) or (2) stated that other young adults approve of regularly eating FV (injunctive Social Norm) or (3) outlined the health benefits of eating FV (control condition). Shortly after reading the poster participants were offered a snack including FV. Choice and intake were measured covertly. In habitually low consumers of FV, fruit and vegetable selection and intake was higher after reading a descriptive Norm poster than after reading about the health benefits of eating FV. However, participants viewing an injunctive Norm poster ate a similar amount of FV as the participants in the health control condition. No effect of message type was observed in habitually high consumers of FV with habitual high consumers in all conditions selecting and eating a large amount of FV. These findings indicate that Social Norm messages emphasising behavioural Norms may have more potential than injunctive Norms in encouraging healthier eating. They further suggest that Social Normative information may not bring about behavioural change due to Social approval concerns.
Andreea Gorbatai - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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testing coleman s Social Norm enforcement mechanism evidence from wikipedia
American Journal of Sociology, 2017Co-Authors: Mikolaj Jan Piskorski, Andreea GorbataiAbstract:Since Durkheim, sociologists have believed that actors in dense network structures experience fewer Norm violations. Coleman proposed one explanatory mechanism, arguing that dense networks provide an opportunity structure to reward those who punish Norm violators, leading to more frequent punishment and in turn fewer Norm violations. Despite ubiquitous scholarly references to Coleman’s theory, little empirical work has directly tested it in large-scale natural settings with longitudinal data. The authors undertake such a test using records of Norm violations during the editing process on Wikipedia, the largest user-generated online encyclopedia. These data allow them to track all three elements required to test Coleman’s mechanism: Norm violations, punishments for such violations, and rewards for those who punish violations. The results support Coleman’s mechanism.
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testing coleman s Social Norm enforcement mechanism evidence from wikipedia
Social Science Research Network, 2013Co-Authors: Mikolaj Jan Piskorski, Andreea GorbataiAbstract:Since Durkheim, sociologists have believed that dense network structures lead to fewer Norm violations. Coleman (1990) proposed one mechanism generating this relationship and argued that dense networks provide an opportunity structure to reward those who punish Norm violators, leading to more frequent punishment and in turn fewer Norm violations. Despite ubiquitous scholarly references to Coleman’s theory, little empirical work has directly tested it in large-scale natural settings with longitudinal data. We undertake such a test using records of Norm violations during the editing process on Wikipedia, the largest user-generated on-line encyclopedia. These data allow us to track all three elements required to test Coleman’s mechanism: Norm violations, punishments for such violations and rewards for those who punish violations. The results are broadly consistent with Coleman’s mechanism.
Howard Kunreuther - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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all by myself testing descriptive Social Norm nudges to increase flood preparedness among homeowners
Social Science Research Network, 2020Co-Authors: Jantsje M Mol, W Wouter J Botzen, Julia Blasch, Elissa Kranzler, Howard KunreutherAbstract:Nudges based on Social Norms (Norm-nudges) can be compelling behavioral interventions compared to traditional interventions such as taxes and regulations, but they do not work in all circumstances. We tested two empirical Norm-nudge frames in an online experiment on taking measures for flood preparedness with large samples of homeowners (N =1805) in two European countries, to evaluate the possible interactions between Norm-nudge effectiveness, individual characteristics and intercultural differences. We contrasted these Norm-nudge treatments with a control and Norm focusing treatment by asking respondents to express their beliefs about what other respondents would do before making a decision relevant to their own payoff. We find no evidence of a treatment effect, suggesting that our Social Norm-nudges do not affect flood preparedness in the context of a flood risk investment game.
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all by myself testing descriptive Social Norm nudges to increase flood preparedness among homeowners
2020Co-Authors: Jantsje M Mol, W Wouter J Botzen, Julia Blasch, Elissa Kranzler, Howard KunreutherAbstract:Social Norms are rules of behavior that are commonly approved by society and personal Norms represent what people believe to be appropriate behavior for themselves. Nudges based on Social Norms (Norm-nudges) can be compelling interventions compared to traditional interventions such as taxes and regulations, but they do not work in all circumstances. We tested two empirical Norm-nudge frames in an online experiment with large representative samples of homeowners (N = 1805) in two European countries, to evaluate the possible interactions between Norm-nudge effectiveness, individual characteristics and intercultural differences. We contrasted these Norm-nudge treatments with a control treatment and a Norm focusing treatment, where respondents are asked to express their beliefs about what other respondents would do before making a decision relevant to their own payoff. We find no evidence of a treatment effect, suggesting that Social Norm-nudges do not affect flood preparedness in the context of a flood risk investment game. However, results demonstrate that investments in risk reduction measures are positively related to beliefs and personal Norms as well as other variables related to risk perceptions. We discuss our contribution to the environmental nudge literature and derive policy implications.
Ernst Fehr - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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changing Social Norm compliance with noninvasive brain stimulation
Science, 2013Co-Authors: Christian C Ruff, Giuseppe Ugazio, Ernst FehrAbstract:All known human societies have maintained Social order by enforcing compliance with Social Norms. The biological mechanisms underlying Norm compliance are, however, hardly understood. We show that the right lateral prefrontal cortex (rLPFC) is involved in both voluntary and sanction-induced Norm compliance. Both types of compliance could be changed by varying the neural excitability of this brain region with transcranial direct current stimulation, but they were affected in opposite ways, suggesting that the stimulated region plays a fundamentally different role in voluntary and sanction-based compliance. Brain stimulation had a particularly strong effect on compliance in the context of Socially constituted sanctions, whereas it left beliefs about what the Norm prescribes and about subjectively expected sanctions unaffected. Our findings suggest that rLPFC activity is a key biological prerequisite for an evolutionarily and Socially important aspect of human behavior.
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the mentalizing network orchestrates the impact of parochial altruism on Social Norm enforcement
Human Brain Mapping, 2012Co-Authors: Thomas Baumgartner, Lorenz Gotte, Rahel Gugler, Ernst FehrAbstract:Parochial altruism—a preference for altruistic behavior towards ingroup members and mis- trust or hostility towards outgroup members—is a pervasive feature in human society and strongly shapes the enforcement of Social Norms. Since the uniqueness of human society critically depends on the enforcement of Norms, the understanding of the neural circuitry of the impact of parochial altruism on Social Norm enforcement is key, but unexplored. To fill this gap, we measured brain activity with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while subjects had the opportunity to punish ingroup members and outgroup members for violating Social Norms. Findings revealed that subjects' strong punishment of defecting outgroup members is associated with increased activity in a functionally con- nected network involved in sanction-related decisions (right orbitofrontal gyrus, right lateral prefrontal cortex, right dorsal caudatus). Moreover, the stronger the connectivity in this network, the more out- group members are punished. In contrast, the much weaker punishment of ingroup members who committed the very same Norm violation is associated with increased activity and connectivity in the mentalizing-network (dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, bilateral temporo-parietal junction), as if subjects tried to understand or justify ingroup members' behavior. Finally, connectivity analyses between the two networks suggest that the mentalizing-network modulates punishment by affecting the activity in the right orbitofrontal gyrus and right lateral prefrontal cortex, notably in the same areas showing enhanced activity and connectivity whenever third-parties strongly punished defecting outgroup mem- bers. Hum Brain Mapp 00:000-000, 2011. V C 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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the neural signature of Social Norm compliance
Neuron, 2007Co-Authors: Manfred Spitzer, Urs Fischbacher, Barbel Herrnberger, Georg Gron, Ernst FehrAbstract:All known human societies establish Social order by punishing violators of Social Norms. However, little is known about how the brain processes the punishment threat associated with Norm violations. We use fMRI to study the neural circuitry behind Social Norm compliance by comparing a treatment in which Norm violations can be punished with a control treatment in which punishment is impossible. Individuals' increase in Norm compliance when punishment is possible exhibits a strong positive correlation with activations in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Moreover, lateral orbitofrontal cortex activity is strongly correlated with Machiavellian personality characteristics. These findings indicate a neural network involved in Social Norm compliance that might constitute an important basis for human Sociality. Different activations of this network reveal individual differences in the behavioral response to the punishment threat and might thus provide a deeper understanding of the neurobiological sources of pathologies such as antiSocial personality disorder.
