Impact of Perceived and Collective Norms on COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors in 23 Countries: A Multi-Level Approach

Social norms can be studied at both the individual and societal levels. While the influence of individual perceived norms on health behaviors has been well-documented, the role of societal-level factors in social normative influence remains unclear. We adopted a multilevel approach to investigate the impact of individual-level perceived norms, country-level collective norms, and individualistic culture on mask-wearing behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. A secondary analysis of cross-sectional data collected from 23 countries (N = 450,223) was conducted. The findings reveal that perceived descriptive norms, perceived injunctive norms, and collective norms conjointly influenced mask-wearing behavior. Positive relationships between perceived descriptive and injunctive norms and mask wearing were stronger in countries with a higher collective norm. Furthermore, positive relationships between norms (i.e., perceived descriptive norms, perceived injunctive norms, and collective norms) and mask wearing were stronger in countries with a more individualistic culture. The study provides evidence for theorizing social normative influence beyond the individual level and underscores the importance of incorporating multilevel factors in social norm research.