ABSTRACT

Most norm-based health campaigns on college campuses feature the most proximal group: health norms of the target college. However, the proximal group may have adverse norms, and fabricating positive proximal norms may be impractical. This study seeks to test norm-based health messages that feature distal groups. Drawing on the theory of normative social behaviors (TNSB) and literatures on desirability-driven identification, this study proposes that distal norms may influence college students’ health behaviors when they desire and identify with the distal group. Across three norms-reliant health topics (anti-drinking, anti-smoking, and pro-exercising), norm-based messages featuring a distal university were compared with norm-based messages featuring the target university and a no-message control by an experimental between-subject design. Participants reported that the distal norm-based message effectively encouraged regular exercise but did not reduce drinking or smoking. Theoretically, this study expands our understandings of distal normative influence on health behaviors. Practically, featuring distal group norms may be valuable when the proximal group norms are against health persuasion goals.

摘要

大学校园中大多数基于规范的健康运动都以最接近的群体为特色：目标大学的健康规范。然而，近端群体可能有不利的规范，制造积极的近端规范可能是不切实际的。本研究旨在测试以远端群体为特征的基于规范的健康信息。本研究借鉴规范社会行为（TNSB）理论和欲望驱动认同的文献，提出远端规范可能会影响大学生在渴望和认同远端群体时的健康行为。在三个依赖规范的健康主题（反饮酒、反吸烟和支持锻炼）中，将远端大学的基于规范的信息与目标大学的基于规范的信息和实验性的无信息控制进行了比较主体间设计。参与者报告说，远端基于规范的信息有效地鼓励了定期锻炼，但并没有减少饮酒或吸烟。从理论上讲，这项研究扩展了我们对远端规范对健康行为的影响的理解。实际上，当近端群体规范违背健康说服目标时，以远端群体规范为特征可能是有价值的。