Cognitive processes of perceived descriptive norms

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K04278
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Social psychology
• Research Institution: Nara University
• Principal Investigator: Murakami Fumio 奈良大学, 社会学部, 教授 (30397088)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 記述的規範 / 逸脱行動 / 情報的影響 / 認知バイアス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Previous studies revealed that one of the determinants of people's decision to comply or deviate from a norm is their perception of the extent to which others around them comply with that norm (perceived descriptive norm). However, this cognition is not always accurate. In this study, we examined the mechanism of the discrepancy between perceived descriptive norm and actual norm compliance, focusing mainly on whether the behavior (whether or not the person complies with the norm) is observable from the surroundings. The results of the studies revealed that distortions of perceived descriptive norms are greater for norms that are less observable. In addition, it was shown that when people infer descriptive norms, they do so by associating them with different norms that they were aware of immediately before.

Free Research Field

社会心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

社会的な規範が遵守されるか否かは、個人の倫理観で決まるというよりも、周囲の他者がどの程度その規範を遵守しているかという認知を通じて、一種の「相場観」が形成されやすい。しかし、その認知（本研究では「記述的規範認知」）は正確であるとは限らない。歪んだ認知に基づいて我々は規範に従うか否かを判断していることもある。本研究では、その認知の歪みをもたらす要因として、その規範的行為を遵守しているかを周囲から観察しやすいかどうかに注目した。観察しづらい行為については直接的に遵守率を把握できないため、認知バイアスが生じやすいことから、行政等で把握している情報の周知が必要であることが示唆される。