How local social norms shape global environmental action
The role of norm misperceptions in environmental attitude–behaviour cycles
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21297906 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nicolas Spatola (0000-0003-2693-3362, Artimon Perspectives Research Institute Paris France, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-23 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | British Journal of Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0007-1269 • E-ISSN: 2044-8295 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/bjop.70053 |
| PMID | 41578676 |
| OpenAlex | W7125582570 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 85 |
This study examines the cyclical relationship between social norms, personal costs of action and pro‐environmental behaviour, using a novel dynamic path model to analyse temporal and feedback effects. Recognizing that environmental action often involves a trade‐off between individual costs and social expectations, we explore how perceptions of social norms influence environmental decisions and, conversely, how individual behaviours shape norm perceptions. We investigate the roles of social norm misperceptions, where individuals misjudge the environmental commitment of peers, and normative feedback, designed to correct these misestimations, in motivating or demotivating sustainable behaviours. Through a controlled experimental design involving sequential tasks and feedback interventions, we capture how normative feedback impacts pro‐environmental choices over time. Results indicate that, when normative feedback reduces the perception of social isolation around sustainable actions, pro‐environmental behaviour is sustained, albeit contingent on environmental attitudes. These findings advance our understanding of normative interventions and the complex dynamics underlying environmental decision‐making
Action (physics) · Norm (philosophy) · Normative · Normative social influence · Perception · Social norms approach · Social perception · Climate Change Communication and Perception · Environmental Education and Sustainability · Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment
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Opinions and Social Pressure
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Group Size and Conformity
Distinguishing the sources of normative influence on proenvironmental behaviors
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |