Social Norms, Behavioral Payment Programs, and Behaviors: Toward a Theory of the Role of Financial Incentives in Normative Systems (FINS)

• In Event: ICA Plenary Interactive Paper/Poster Session III
  In Interactive Paper Session: Information Systems Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

Social norms research plays a predominant role in the field of communication, yet questions remain about how and when social norms are influential. Three conceptual issues bear additional scrutiny in order to uncover when social norms impact action and the moderators of this relationship. First, the influence of financial incentives in normative systems remains a relatively unarticulated but potentially important point of theoretical development because there is reason to believe financial incentives might crowd out other sources of motivation. Second, a distinction has been made between perceived and collective social norms but the unique effect of each type of norm has not been well articulated nor tested empirically. Third, previous research has highlighted the important role of group identification in normative systems, but the empirical findings remain mixed. This paper addresses these issues; in particular, this study presents a theoretical model to address these issues and reports the results of a public goods experiment to test the effects of short-term monetary incentives on normative systems and behavior.

Authors

• Maria Knight Lapinski, Michigan State U

• John Kerr, Michigan State U

• Jinhua Zhao, Michigan State U

• Robert Shupp, Michigan State U