Descriptive norms

What are descriptive norms?

Descriptive norms concern what people believe others commonly do in a situation.

Descriptive versus injunctive norms

A descriptive norm concerns what people do; an injunctive norm concerns what people approve of or think should be done. A behavior can be common even when people disapprove of it.

How descriptive norms influence behavior

Cialdini, Reno, and Kallgren’s original littering research distinguished these two kinds of norms and emphasized which norm receives attention. The existence of a norm does not ensure that it governs every decision.

Example: hotel towel reuse

In two hotel field experiments, messages describing other guests’ towel reuse outperformed a general environmental appeal. That result is specific to the tested messages and setting. It does not establish that a norm message always works best.

Why descriptive norms matter

A message about what “most people do” draws attention to that behavior. Before using one, ask which behavior it makes seem normal and whether the claim is accurate for the group. A message about a widespread undesirable behavior can point people toward the very norm you want to change.

Further reading: Cialdini, Kallgren, and Reno’s 1991 theoretical refinement.