How do social norms affect customers’ food selections at restaurants? Investigating social norms misalignment using polynomial regression with response surface analysis

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the effects of perceived social norms on customers’ intentions to choose healthy menu items at restaurants. Specifically, injunctive norms and descriptive norms were examined, and the effects of misalignment of these social norms were explored on those intentions. To remedy problems associated with a more traditional analytical technique often used in misalignment studies, polynomial regression with response surface analysis was employed. Results revealed that when people perceived that most others eat healthy and approve of healthy eating, they were more likely to have intentions to choose healthy menu items. However, the conflict between perceived injunctive and descriptive norms weakened such intentions. This study expanded the literature on the role of social norms in changing behavioral intentions by investigating the roles of these two social norms, as well as the conflict between the two norms related to choosing healthy menu items by employing a new analytical technique.

摘要

本研究探讨知觉社会规范对顾客选择健康饮食的影响.具体来说，禁令性规范和描述性规范被检验，并探讨了这些社会规范失调对这些意图的影响.为了解决在偏差研究中经常使用的更传统的分析技术的相关问题，采用了多项式回归和响应面分析.结果显示，当人们意识到大多数人吃得健康并且赞同健康饮食时，他们更有可能有意愿选择健康的菜单项.然而，强制性规范和描述性规范之间的冲突削弱了这种意图.本研究扩展了社会规范在改变行为意向中的作用的文献，通过调查这两种社会规范的作用，以及两种规范在使用新的分析技术选择健康菜单项方面的冲突.

KEYWORDS:

• Descriptive norms
• healthy eating
• injunctive norms
• misalignment
• polynomial regression
• social norms