SYNERGY
Section 2: Perception-Based Prevention
Having.established.the.central.role.that.perceptions.play,.the.following.section.will.
outline.a.strategy.for.correcting.people’s.misperceptions.about.the.social.norms.to.
achieve.positive.change..It.will.begin.with.a.detailed.discussion.of.the.nature.of.
misperceptions.of.social.norms,.and.move.on.to.discuss.the.structure.of.a.percep- tion-based.prevention.effort.
Causes of Misperceptions
Why.do.misperceptions.of.social.norms.occur?.Several.factors.contribute,.rang- ing.from.the.way.we.mentally.process.information.to.the.kinds.of.cultural.stimuli.
we.receive.(Perkins.1997,.2002,.2003)..Although.we.are.very.good.observers.of.
the.behavior.of.others,.we.are.typically.poor.interpreters.of.the.meaning.of.this.
information.. First,. we. tend. to. think. that. unusual. behaviors. exhibited. by. other.
people.are.typical.of.them,.whether.or.not.this.is.the.case.(an.“attribution.error,”.
as.described.by.psychologists)..We.assume.that.the.behavior.we.observe.in.others.
Perceptions, Policies, and Social Norms n 147 is.characteristic—even.if.it.is.a.once.per.year.or.once-in-a-lifetime.occurrence—
because.we.do.not.have.enough.information.about.most.other.people.to.contextual- ize.such.behavior.as.rare.when.we.hear.about.or.see.it.happening.
Second,.casual.conversation.tends.to.focus.on.the.escapades.of.peers.who.exhibit.
extreme.or.high-risk.behaviors..Talk.among.friends.usually.emphasizes.and.exag- gerates.atypical,.risky.behaviors.(which.tend.to.make.funnier.or.more.dramatic.
stories).rather.than.the.statistically.normal.behaviors.that.regularly.occur..Ampli- fied.talk.about.risky.behavior.leads.many.to.think.such.actions.are.more.prevalent.
than.they.actual.are..In.this.way,.even.people.who.do.not.themselves.engage.in.
dangerous.behaviors.may.contribute.to.the.problem.by.acting.as.“carriers”.of.the.
misperception.“virus”.by.spreading.it.to.others.through.conversation.
The.third.factor.involves.the.influential.role.of.the.media,.which.is.in.the.busi- ness.of.delivering.sensational,.memorable.material..We.are.typically.attracted.to.
stories—fictional.and.otherwise—about.the.most.dramatic,.arresting,.or.shocking.
events..Vivid.or.emotionally.evocative.information.has.increased.impact.on.our.per- ceptions,.leading.to.exaggerated.ideas.about.frequency.and.prevalence..The.result.is.
that.people.worry.about.terrorist.attacks,.whereas.some.of.the.most.common.killers.
of.Americans—obesity,.stroke,.and.heart.disease—go.practically.unnoticed..Thus.
the.way.in.which.the.media.attends.to.and.disregards.information.contributes.to.
the.misperception.of.actual.norms.
Consequences of Misperceptions
Misperceptions.have.been.shown.to.fuel.a.less.protective.social.environment.among.
college.students.with.regard.to.alcohol.abuse.(Perkins.2002)..These.misperceptions.
have.significant.consequences..First,.people.with.ambivalent.attitudes.about.a.par- ticular.high-risk.activity—for.example,.heavy.drinking—might.nonetheless.engage.
in.it.if.they.perceive.it.as.the.norm..Meanwhile,.those.people.already.at.the.high- risk.end.of.the.drinking.continuum.wrongly.think.that.their.behavior.is.the.accept- able.practice.of.the.majority,.a.misperception.that.perversely.ratifies.and.reinforces.
their.own.choices..Finally,.opposition.or.intervention.by.others.to.prevent.high-risk.
drinking.(or.to.ameliorate.the.problems.associated.with.it).is.also.inhibited.in.an.
environment.characterized.by.widespread.misperceptions..People.are.reluctant.to.
be.“the.only.one”.to.refrain.from.a.behavior.or.to.intervene.in.their.friends’.behav- ior.if,.in.so.doing,.they.risk.social.disapproval.
Correcting Misperceptions: The Social Norms Approach to Prevention
The.social.norms.approach.to.prevention.works.to.shape.human.behavior.by.cor- recting.misperceptions.of.social.norms.(Perkins.and.Berkowitz.1986)..Identifying.
and.reducing.the.often.great.disparity.between.perceived.and.actual.social.norms.
is.the.basis.of.this.approach.(Perkins.1997,.2003)..Social.norms.interventions.have.
shown.that.if.people’s.misperceptions.of.social.norms.are.corrected.to.reflect.the.
less.risky,.more.protective.behaviors.or.attitudes.that.are.the.actual.norms.in.their.
communities,. they. are. more. likely. to. behave. in. accordance. with. those. positive.
standards.(Cialdini.2003;.Perkins.2003).
Social.norms.programs.focus.on.the.positive.majority.behavior.or.attitudes.that.
are.almost.universally.the.norm,.rather.than.on.the.negative.behavior.and.impacts.
of.the.minority..By.promoting.the.positive.behavior.that.is.the.community.stan- dard,.more.good.behavior.results..Social.norms.interventions.have.achieved.statis- tically.significant.behavioral.shifts.among.a.variety.of.target.groups.(high.school.
students,.college.students,.young.adults).with.regard.to.issues.as.diverse.as.alcohol.
use,.seatbelt.use,.impaired.driving,.and.tobacco.use.(Berkowitz.2004).
For. example,. intensive. social. norms. campaigns. were. implemented. at. several.
college. campuses. to. counteract. student. overexaggerations. of. the. prevalence. of.
heavy.episodic.drinking..As.the.students.grew.informed.about.the.actual.major- ity.norms.of.moderate.alcohol.use,.each.campus.measured.an.18.to.21.percent.
reduction.in.high-risk.drinking.in.as.little.as.two.years,.against.a.national.back- drop.that.remained.virtually.unchanged.(Haines.1996;.Johannessen.et.al.,.1999;.
Perkins.2002;.Perkins.and.Craig.2002;.Jeffrey.et.al.,.2003)..A.recent.media-based.
social.norms.intervention.on.impaired.driving.achieved.statistically.positive.results.
across.a.variety.of.measures,.including.message.awareness,.increased.accuracy.of.
perceptions,.decreased.impaired.driving.behavior,.increased.protective.behaviors,.
and. increased. support. for. policies. to. reduce. impaired. driving. (Linkenbach. and.
Perkins.2005).
From Soup to Nuts: How It Works
Social.norms.campaigns.do.not.seek.to.change.behavioral.norms.by.telling.people.
what.they.should.or.should.not.do..Instead,.they.work.to.correct.people’s.misper- ceptions.of.social.norms.by.informing.them.of.the.healthy.behaviors.that.are.actu- ally.practiced.by.the.majority..Because.people’s.behavior.is.determined.in.large.part.
by.their.perceptions.of.what.is.normal.and.acceptable,.changes.in.behavior.result..
In.this.way,.social.norms.messages.do.not.merely.convey.what.should.be.happening.
in.a.given.community.or.population,.but.rather.reflect.back.what.is already.hap- pening.that.is.positive,.protective,.and.healthy..By.reinforcing.positive.attitudes.and.
behaviors,.social.norms.can.enhance.the.protective.factors.within.the.community.
itself.and.thus.lead.to.a.reduction.of.the.risk-taking.behavior.of.the.minority.
Using.surveys.and.other.information-gathering.techniques,.a.social.norms.inter- vention.identifies.the.positive.norms.that.already.exist.in.a.population,.and.then.
constructs.an.intervention.that.publicizes,.reinforces,.and.strengthens.them..Misper- ceptions. of. social. norms. can. be. corrected. using. media. campaigns,. small. group.
Perceptions, Policies, and Social Norms n 149
interventions,.and.school.curricula,.among.other.strategies,.to.deliver.accurate,.data- based.messages.about.actual.community.norms..These.messages.correct.mispercep- tions.of.social.norms,.giving.people.a.more.accurate.picture.of.the.behaviors.and.
attitudes.of.their.peers..Through.time.and.message.“dosage,”.this.correct.norma- tive.information.translates.into.corrected.perceptions.which.results.in.measurable.
changes.in.attitudes.and.behaviors.
The.logic.model.for.a.social.norms.campaign.looks.like.this:
Baseline.Survey
Identify.target’s.actual.and.misperceived.norms Intervention
Intensively.expose.target.to.accurate.norms.messages Correction
Target.develops.more.accurate.perceptions.of.norms Result
Target.practices.more.safe.and.healthy.behaviors.(Perkins.2003)
The Montana Model of Social Norms Marketing
The.Montana.Model.of.Social.Norms.Marketing.is.a.seven-step.process.that.com- bines.social.marketing.with.the.social.norms.approach.to.prevention..It.is.a.social.
norms.marketing.model.that.can.work.on.regional.or.statewide.levels,.for.a.variety.
of.issues,.turning.social.science.into.social.action.by.correcting.misperceptions.and.
building.upon.the.positive.attitudinal.and.behavioral.norms.that.already.exist.in.
a.culture..Although.the.steps.are.presented.in.a.linear.manner,.their.implementa- tion.is.a.dynamic.process.that.often.involves.operating.within.and.between.each.of.
the.steps.simultaneously..The.Montana.Model.is.the.most.widely.used.model.for.
social.norms.interventions,.and.has.been.the.foundation.for.campaigns.on.issues.
ranging.from.impaired.driving.to.tobacco.use.among.teenagers.to.adult.seatbelt.
use.(Figure.8.2).
Step 1: Planning and Environmental Advocacy
Project.planning.determines.the.scope.and.direction.of.your.campaign,.and.ensures.
that.all.of.your.efforts.are.aligned.with.your.program.goals..Environmental.advo- cacy. entails. creating. a. political,. economic,. and. social. atmosphere. conducive. to.
change.
Step 2: Baseline Data
The.disparity.between.perceived.attitudes.and.behaviors.and.actual.norms.is.what.
drives.the.social.norms.process..The.collection.of.baseline.data.is.when.you.measure.
this. disparity. in. your. particular. target. audience.. The. survey. data. you. collect. will.
become.the.actual.intervention.tool.that.you.will.use.to.create.change.
Step 3: Message Development
Message.development.is.a.rigorous.process.that.involves.deriving.stories.and.sta- tistics.from.your.baseline.data..The.scope.of.your.message.is.determined.by.your.
target.population’s.readiness.for.change,.their.current.behavior.practices,.and.their.
normative.perceptions.
Step 4: Market Plan
The.creation.of.a.marketing.plan.begins.by.seeing.things.through.the.eyes.of.your.
target.population..Traditional.and.nontraditional.media.approaches.are.assessed.
Project Goal
Message development
Market
plan Pilot test
& refine materials
Implement campaign Baseline
data
Evaluation Planning &
environmental advocacy
CULTURAL LANDSCAPE
TUR CUL L L A ND A C S PE A
Figure 8.2 The Montana Model of Social Norms Marketing (Linkenbach, 1999).
Perceptions, Policies, and Social Norms n 151 for.their.potential.to.reach.the.desired.audience..The.results.of.these.assessments.are.
incorporated.into.a.campaign-specific.plan.
Step 5: Pilot Test and Refine Materials
Your.normative.messages.and.pilot.materials.must.be.tested.with.your.target.popu- lation.for.believability.and.appeal..Focus.groups.become.a.key.resource.for.gather- ing.input.and.information.
Step 6: Implement Campaign
Campaign.implementation.involves.all.of.the.tasks.and.elements.necessary.to.run.
and. troubleshoot. your. campaign. on. a. daily. basis.. It. includes. placing. print. and.
broadcast.media.messages,.running.local.activities.that.promote.your.social.norms.
messages,. and. managing. your. campaign’s. interaction. with. your. target. audience.
and.the.community.at.large.
Step 7: Evaluation
The.social.norms.marketing.process.is.driven.by.continual.evaluation.of.campaign.
effectiveness.. Quantitative. and. qualitative. data. are. gathered,. analyzed,. and. fed.
back.into.the.campaign.to.refine.its.implementation.