Modeling the Relationship Between Perceived Descriptive Norms and Willingness to Practice COVID-19 Preventative Behaviors: A Test of the Mediation and Moderation Mechanisms in the Theory of Normative Social Behavior

ABSTRACT

Social norm has been found to impact compliance with COVID-19 preventative behaviors, including handwashing, wearing a face mask, social distancing, and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces. There is, however, a limited understanding of the social norm influence mechanisms and its boundary condition in the context of COVID-19. Guided by the theory of normative social behaviors (TNSB), this study conducted an online survey (N = 336) to examine whether perceived injunctive norms (PIN), outcome expectation (OE), group identity (GID), group orientation (GO), and cultural tightness-looseness (CTL) can moderate and/or mediate the relationship between perceived descriptive norms (PDN) and behavioral intentions (BI) to perform COVID-19 preventative behaviors in the United States. Results showed that whereas OE mediated the PDN-BI relationship to enact all four focal behaviors, PIN mediated the PDN-BI relationship for social distancing, wearing a face mask, and cleaning and disinfecting. However, inconsistent with the predictions, all five moderators (i.e. PIN, OE, GO, GID, and CTL) attenuated, instead of strengthening, the PDN-BI relationships for particular preventative behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2023.2165257

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1. Survey instructions specified face masks as “any homemade, surgical/N95 respirators, or other alternatives that function in covering your face for personal protection.”

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.