Priming effects of perceived norms on behavioral intention through observability

This paper describes research on 2 normative concepts thought to impact health behaviors: injunctive and descriptive norms. The study tests whether the extent to which the same health behavior is enacted in an observable or non-observable setting will lead to variation in normative influence on parent intention. In online experiments conducted in Winter 2009, participants were randomized to a behavioral scenario in which the health behavior was described as occurring in an observable or non-observable setting. For sun-protection behaviors, observability primed the influence of descriptive norms on intention. For nutrition behaviors, observability primed the influence of injunctive norms on intention. Across both conditions, observability of the behavioral scenario increased the strength of the association between norms and intention.