Social norms are rules that prescribe and proscribe behavior. The application of norms is conditional. But scholars have little systematic understanding of the factors that affect conditionality. The authors argue that understanding norms requires assessing the costs and benefits of focal and nonfocal behaviors for norm targets, beneficiaries, and enforcers. The authors develop hypotheses about two combinations of these factors; they hypothesize that 1) costs to the norm target of complying with the norm, and 2) behavior by the norm beneficiary that hurts the norm target, weaken the norm. The authors use a vignette experiment to test these hypotheses in the context of bridewealth norms in Africa. The results are consistent with the predictions. The study contributes to the literature on norms by suggesting a systematic approach to understanding norm conditionality.

中文翻译：

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规范的条件性：以新娘为例

社会规范是规定和禁止行为的规则。规范的应用是有条件的。但是学者对影响条件性的因素缺乏系统的了解。作者认为，理解规范要求评估规范目标，受益人和执行者的重点和非重点行为的成本和收益。作者提出了关于这些因素的两种组合的假设。他们假设1）遵守规范的规范目标的成本，以及2）损害规范目标的规范受益人的行为，削弱了规范。作者使用小插图实验在非洲的新娘财富准则的背景下检验了这些假设。结果与预测一致。