QCAA Psychology - Cialdini et al (2006)

Select the correct words to fill in the gaps below to summarise social norms.

Social norms are the ​ (a)   rules governing attitudes and behaviours expected from a certain culture or society. Social norms appear to be followed for numerous reasons, such as to reduce the chance of punishment or ​ (b)   from the culture or society, or to signal what everyone else is doing which is likely the most effective way to behave. Norms can be divided into different types.

Descriptive norms describe what is ​ (c)   or normal, basically what is done by most people.

Injunctive norms refer to what (d)   to be done - behaviours that are approved.

• implicit
• approval
• typical
• should
• legal
• atypical
• disapproval
• explicit

Match the following to show your understanding of the signs used by Cialdini et al (2006).

• Injunctive Weak

• Please don't remove the petrified wood from the park.

• Descriptive Weak

• The vast majority of past visitors have left the petrified wood in the park, preserving the natural state of the Petrified Forest.

• Injunctive Strong

• Please leave petrified wood in the park.

• Descriptive Strong

• Many past visitors have removed the petrified wood from the park, changing the state of the Petrified Forest.

Answer explanation

Many past visitors have removed the petrified wood from the park, changing the state of the Petrified Forest - Descriptive Strong (Descriptive because there is no direction given; Strong because it is phrasing the negative consequences)

Please don’t remove the petrified wood from the park - Injunctive Strong (Injunctive as it is giving a direction about what should be done; Strong as it is phrased in a negative light)

The vast majority of past visitors have left the petrified wood in the park, preserving the natural state of the Petrified Forest - Descriptive Weak (Descriptive because there is no direction given; Weak because it is phrasing the positive consequences)

Please leave petrified wood in the park - Injunctive Weak (Injunctive as it is giving a direction about what should be done; Weak as it is phrased in a positive light)

Identify whether the following statement is true or false:

Making people aware of social norms is enough to get them to change antisocial behaviour.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

False; it is definitely possible to persuade people to change their negative behaviour by making an appeal to social norms, however this must be done carefully, or it risks being ineffective and even counterproductive.

Recall which kind of message from Cialdini et al.'s (2006) experiment was most effective in deterring would-be wood thieves at the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, United States.

• Positively worded messages describing violation of norms.

• Negatively worded messages telling people not to violate norms.

• Positively worded messages about not violating norms.

• Negatively worded messages describing norms.

Answer explanation

Cialdini and his collaborators found that a strong or negatively worded (but still polite) message asking people not to steal wood (injunctive norm) was more effective than messages that highlighted the fact that many people have stolen wood from the park in the past (descriptive norm).

Identify which of the following is true about the methods of Cialdini et al (2006).

• The study used the petrified wood already present in the forest.

• The study was completed on 1 hiking trail.

• The study was completed over 5 weeks.

• The study had 20 000 participants.

Answer explanation

The correct answer is " the study was completed over 5 weeks"

There were 2 655 participants, not 20 000.

The researchers placed petrified wood to be stolen, and did not use the wood from the park.

The study was done over 3 hiking trials, not just 1.

Identify if the following statement is True or False:

"The Petrified Forest National Park changed their signs as a result of the study".

• True

• False

Answer explanation

False. The park did not change their signs, instead kept the descriptive signs that were ineffective.

Identify what the "Strong" element of the signs in Cialdini et al (2006) was:

• The signs were in a large type font.

• The signs were strongly worded

• The signs were worded toward a negative outcome.

• The signs were worded toward a positive outcome.

Answer explanation

The size of font was kept similar for the signs, and the signs were deliberately made to be less strongly worded and relatively neutral.

Recall which kind of message from the 2006 experiment by Cialdini et al. increased the theft at Arizona's Petrified Forest National Park.

• Descriptive Weak

• Injunctive Weak

• Descriptive Strong

• Injunctive Strong

Answer explanation

The correct answer is "Descriptive Strong".

Social Norms are the implicit behaviours and beliefs that are ​ (a)   in society. Cialdini et al (2006) investigated the effect of injunctive and descriptive norms on individual behaviour. ​ (b)   norms refer to what people ought to do or what is socially correct to do. Descriptive norms describe behaviours that are occurring. When placed on signs to try and deter the ​ (c)   behaviour of theft, injunctive norms with a strong (​ (d)   ) focus prevented the most theft, while descriptive norms with a strong focus seemed to ​ (e)   theft.

• expected
• Injunctive
• antisocial
• negative
• increase