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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 5, 2026

New Variations for Strategy Set-shifting in the Rat

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Published on: January 23, 2017

Changing Norms to Change Behavior.

Dale T Miller¹, Deborah A Prentice²

¹Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305;

Annual Review of Psychology

|August 9, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Norm-based interventions use peer behavior information to reduce harmful actions like excessive drinking and energy use. Understanding when this strategy is most effective is key to successful behavior change.

Keywords:

drinking behavior energy conservation interventions social norm marketing social norms

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Area of Science:

Social Psychology
Behavioral Science
Public Health Interventions

Background:

Norm-based interventions leverage social norms to influence individual and collective behavior.
These strategies are widely used to address issues such as high alcohol consumption and excessive energy use.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the logic and forms of norm-based interventions.
To examine interventions targeting college student drinking and pro-environmental behaviors.
To identify conditions that maximize the effectiveness of norm information.

Main Methods:

Literature review of norm-based intervention strategies.
Analysis of intervention effectiveness in specific contexts (college drinking, environmental behavior).
Identification of psychological and social factors influencing norm perception and behavior change.

Main Results:

Norm-based interventions can be effective in reducing harmful behaviors.
Effectiveness is contingent on accurate perception of norms and message framing.
Specific conditions enhance the likelihood of behavior change through social norms.

Conclusions:

Normative information is a powerful tool for behavior modification.
Understanding the conditions for effectiveness is crucial for designing impactful interventions.
Further research can refine the application of norm-based strategies across diverse behaviors.